Those Who Have Opened the Gate
by The Intelligent Alchemist
Summary: A great catastrophe. A transmutation circle in the sand. Hidden feelings. Mystery. Alphonse and Edward face great tragedy and a new rival when tragic events lead them back to the parellel universe of Shambala. What will become of the brothers? SPOILER
1. Equal Trade

Collision

Chapter One

Equal Trade

Parallel universe. Another dimension. The same world existing on a different plane. Society believes this to be only myth, something to fantastic to be real. But it is true that there exists something beyond this world. There is another world similar to this one beyond the gate, with only small differences. However, travel between these two worlds can only be achieved through disaster and tragedy.

The Principle of Equal Trade.

There were two brothers who lived, and almost died by this rule. To gain something, you must give something in exchange. For one boy, it was an arm and a leg. For his brother, it was a whole body. And in the end, the ultimate sacrifice was made. One gave up his life for the other.

But he did not die.

He passed through a gate. The link between two worlds. And he left behind everything he had ever known.

Until one day when tragedy struck again, and the two brothers were reunited once more. And this time the younger brother made the sacrifice. The sacrifice to leave the world he knew to be with his brother. He made the decision to forget his old life and forge a new one.

But fate is never predictable, and lives that are so tightly entwined can never be completely untangeled from each other.

And lines that are parallel, when turned off of their axis, can collide.

1916, The World Beyond the Gate

"Oi, Al, let's fight."

A young, golden-haired man opened one eye lazily to meet the golden gaze of his older brother. With a sigh, he closed his eyes again and flopped his head on the table of their kitchen. "It's too hot, Nii-san. I can barely move…and besides, don't you think it's kind of unfair now?"

Edward Elric plopped down in the chair beside his brother. "Unfair? How?"

Without opening his eyes, Alphonse lifted his arm and tapped his finger on Edward's right arm, indicating the steel beneath. "You still have your automail in this world and that's an advantage even without being able to use alchemy. But I…I don't have anything anymore. I'm just a normal human." His voice trailed off as he got lost in thought, but he seemed to shake it off. "It doesn't seem quite right to still fight when you can break a bone in my body without even trying."

Ed stared at his brother as he thought about what he had said.. It had been almost two years since they had left the world they had been born in for the last time, sealing the passage to the gate behind them so no one else would be able to use it for evil. Since then the two brother's had traveled just like they used to, trying to find their place in this new world. Eventually they ended up in the countryside, far away from the war that was now raging in the cities, in a place that uncannily resembled Rizenbool. It had been home for them for the last two months. Lately it seemed Al was missing his old life, and the old world, but Ed knew there was nothing they could do about it except forget about it and everyone there. He had distanced himself from that life.

"Ahhh, Al, you're no fun!" he said, standing up from the chair and stretching, keeping one eye on Al. His brother's face didn't change and Ed felt his mood drop. "Al…?"

The fifteen year old boy gave another sigh and cradled his chin on his arms, staring unseeing at the wall in front of him. "…Winry's birthday is next week."

Ed hid a wince. Winry….the one person he couldn't forget about his old life, no matter how hard he tried. So many what if's, and if only's with her. Blue eyes filled his thoughts, and he shook his head hard. There was no point in wishing for what could have been. He was past that. Really.

There was nothing left for him in the past.

"Next week, huh? I completely forgot." Of course he hadn't. She would have grown another year older, another year without him. Had she found someone to give her time to? Someone to care for instead of…damn it, there were those thoughts again.

Alphonse eyed him askance. "You forgot? You never forget, even when you say you do. And why are your fists clenched?"

Edward immediately let his hands relax, cursing on the inside. "Because I'm ready to spar with you. Let's go."

"Nuh-uh, Nii-san," he said, shaking his head. "Not with you in that mood."

"I'm not in a mood," Ed said, trying not to let his temper get the best of him. "I'm just impatient, and don't want to stand around talking about what can't be changed."

Al's face immediately fell, and Edward felt like a heel. "Al, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I know we can't go back. It's just…don't you ever miss it? Miss them?"

Since Al wasn't looking at his brother, he didn't see golden eyes harden almost imperceptibly. Turning around and walking away, Edward tossed back over his shoulder, "No, I don't. They stay in my past, where they belong. They can't touch me now."

Alphonse heard the front door slam, and stared at the place where Ed had stood. "You could never lie well, Nii-san," he whispered into the empty quiet.

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The transmutation circle was almost complete. And it would be perfect. After years of waiting, she would finally get to meet him.

"Emma, are you sure this is a good idea?" the young man said in the quiet hush of sunset. "Alchemy is forbidden in Lior."

"We're not technically in Lior," the girl said impatiently. "We're in the outskirts in a filthy abandoned barn because the dimwitted people in the city think that alchemy is the source of all of their problems."

"That's because it is…was the reason the city was destroyed. They outlawed it when they had to rebuild. Besides, doing something illegal isn't the only thing wrong with this." She followed his gaze to the crate of chickens squawking loudly as if cursing their fate.

But fate was unchangeable.

The boy saw his sister's eyes harden and turn back to her work. "Something needs to be given in order to get something. You know that, Patrick. A sacrifice. The Law of Equivalent Exchange."

"It still seems wrong to sacrifice them."

"The commoners were just going to eat them anyway," she said, standing up and wiping the dirt meticulously off of her hands. She turned to her brother. "Ready?"

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Patrick said, picking up the crate and gingerly placing it in the middle of the transmutation circle. It was just past sunset, making the rundown stable they were in dark and ominous. Patrick shivered in the night, although it wasn't cold. He looked at Emma across from the circle, kneeling down despite his reservations.

"Shouldn't we do a practice run?"

"Idiot, you can't do a practice run with this type of alchemy. We just need to open the gate and he'll come through."

"How can you be so sure," Patrick persisted. "We don't know what's beyond that gate. Or if we can really open it."

"I've studied the books. I _know_ he's there. He'll come through. Now, get ready."

Heart pounding in anticipation, she put her hands on the edge of the circle, waiting for him to do the same. She was too close to back down now. She was a worthy alchemist, and she had studied until her eyes felt like they would roll out of her head. All just to finally meet _him_.

The Fullmetal Alchemist. Supposedly the best alchemist in existence, not to mention the youngest. Her eyes sharpened. They would see about that.

Both teenagers held their breath as the circle began to glow with eerie blue light…

…and faded away a moment later.

Emma stared in shock in the fading light. The chickens sang their chorus to the sky, happy to be alive for another day, the transmutation circle lying harmlessly on the ground.

"It….didn't work?"

"Emma?" Patrick said, approaching his sister cautiously.

"Why didn't it work?" she whispered, and her fists clenched in the dirt. "I had it planned perfectly. It should have worked."

"We can try again later," he said soothingly. "We'll find out what we did wrong."

He gently lifted her to her feet and put his arm around her shoulders, leading her away from the circle…

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Al wasn't the in the house, but Ed knew where to find him. Even in this new world, his brother was still predictable. The creek offered comforting sounds in the darkening twilight, something the younger brother took solace in. Something to remind him of home.

Ed found him sitting by the bank, drawing in the sand. Sighing, he plopped down into the sand next to him and looked at the picture.

Al was drawing a transmutation circle and Ed felt his face fall.

"Al…" he began, not knowing where to begin. Al spoke first.

"Brother, do you remember when you asked if I hated you, back in Resembool? Because you had put me into that empty suit of armor…you thought that I would hate you for taking my life away."

"You said then that you didn't hate me."

"I was telling you the truth. I'm glad you put me into that suit of armor. I'm glad you helped me live so we could be together. I don't regret that. Just like I don't regret leaving everything behind."

"Sometimes I think you would have been better off if you would have stayed. You would have been happier and-ow!"

Al calmly took his fist off of his brother's head. "Just like I was happy without you before? Then why did I spend so much time trying to get you back? I made sacrifices then too. I wanted to be where you were, and had to give up something for it."

"The Law of Equivalent Exchange…you know that's not necessarily true."

"We've lived so long by that rule that it's still the only thing I know. People died, we lost those that we loved, but we're still together." He drew one more circle within the transmutation circle he was making and turned to Ed. "Do you know what this is? What the significance of it is?"

Ed shook his head.

"This is the circle I used in the underground city to try and bring you back. Although all of those sacrifices were made, I'm glad it worked. I'm glad I'm with you again."

"But you seem to miss everyone so much…."

Al let out a little laugh, and stood up, pulling Ed to his feet as well. "Of course I miss them! They were our family."

They started walking along the river towards the house, leaving the transmutation circle behind. "It's okay for you to miss them too. You try shield yourself, but it only hurts you more."

Ed was silent for a moment. "Maybe I do wish we could go back, sometimes."

As soon as he spoke, the hair on the back of his neck stood up, as if the energy in the air turned up a notch.

"Brother…."

He looked at Al, who was staring in shock behind them. His gaze followed, and he stopped his mouth from dropping open.

The transmutation circle was glowing blue…

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Emma had been so certain it would work. She had spent two years going over the procedure, perfecting it in every detail. They had her alchemy, they had a circle, and they had something to give in exchange.

And yet it still didn't work. She had failed. The thought of going back to study what she did wrong made her want to scream. She had done nothing wrong! It had been perfect, god damnit!

She turned to glare balefully at the circle that had failed her, and stopped in her tracks.

"Patrick, where are the chickens?"

"What?"

"The chickens. Did you let them out of the cage?"

"No, of course not. I left them on the….circle….?" He was staring now at the empty crate. The empty, _locked_, crate.

"Where did they go?" His voice shook. "They were just there a second ago."

A flash filled the room with blue light, and the siblings had to cover their eyes. The glare faded away to leave the circle glowing softly. "Is it working?" Patrick whispered to Emily.

"It's working." Her voice sounded dull with shock. "It's _working!_ Patrick, we did it!"

She laughed in glee as her eyes were glued on her circle, waiting for Fullmetal to appear. Her smile disappeared as the transmutation circle turned a bright purple, and then a dark red.

"Emma, what's happening?"

She didn't hear Patrick over the collective scream that filled the air, coming from the direction of the city. She turned and bolted out side and stared in horror at the city of Lior, the same red glow encompassing the city as the screams continued, a haunting melody.

There was a great boom in the air as the glow seemed to explode, knocking her and Patrick off of their feet to land in the dirt.

She uncovered her eyes and stared desperately at the city.

The screams had stopped.

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Back by the river, a breeze gently blew the leaves into a whispering cadence, filling the empty bank with a sweet lullaby.

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Chapter one, is, not mine…… It belongs to Mujitsu she wrote it first, and it is under her profile, all will be explained in chapter 3….


	2. Triumphiant Return

Triumphant Return

The air smelled stale and old, slightly damp with a hint of desolation. That was the scent that first greeted Ed's nose as he slowly faded back into consciousness and opened his eyes reluctantly. Concrete greeted him on all sides, and he sat up quickly with a gasp.

"Impossible," he whispered, staring in wide-eyed horror at the underground city he had left two years ago. There was an eerie silence, save for his rapid breath, the roar of lost souls still echoing throughout the miles of wasteland. His heart was trying to beat its way out of his chest as he realized he was back in the world he was born in. Back to where alchemy existed.

But…how?

A moan from beside him distracted him from his frantic musings, and he quickly turned around to find Al pushing himself into a sitting position, rubbing his head.

"That _hurt_," he remarked, patting the dust off his body as he stood up. He froze as it finally registered in his mind that he was no longer walking along a river on his way back home. "Ni-san?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly in disbelief and the beginning of panic. "Are we where I think we are?"

Ed sighed, dropping his head. "Yeah. We're back. I wonder what hap-GAH! Al, get off me!" He started gasping for breath as Al grabbed him around the neck and hugged him as hard as he could.

"We're back, we're back, we're back!" He chanted happily, not noticing that Ed's face was starting to turn blue from the lack of oxygen. Finally he registered what was going on when Ed was frantically pounding against his arm. "Oh, sorry! I couldn't help it!"

Ed dragged in a lungful of the blessed, though still stale, air. "Are you _trying _to kill me?!" He sighed and rolled his eyes as Al laughed nervously, scratching his head. "Anyway, how did we get back?"

Al looked serious for a second. "Someone opened the gate from this side with a transmutation circle. It reacted with the transmutation circle on our side and…."

He fell silent, but Ed knew they were both thinking the same thing. To open the gate, there needed to be a sacrifice. Since there was no sacrifice on their side, that meant that someone had sacrificed something on this side. Something big. Ed had a sick feeling that more human lives had been traded for someone to get what they wanted. How many had suffered this time? What child lost a mother, or mother lost a child? Whose life was irrevocably changed this time? When Ed found the bastard that did this, nothing would save him.

"God _DAMN_ it!" he suddenly burst out, kicking the nearest pile of rubble with his metal leg in a fit of temper. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" His fists clenched to his sides as his frame trembled. "It's always like this," he whispered. "Equal trade." He laughed humorlessly as Al remained silent.

Equal trade was such bullshit, one that he had centered his entire life around, only to realize that not everything in life was equal to something. Some things were priceless, things that could never be traded. Human life was one of them. And now another human life had been wasted.

Ed took a deep breath as he tried to calm down. Getting angry right now wouldn't help the situation. "We're underneath Central. We'll go to headquarters and find out what's going on."

"We can see Colonol Mustang and the others," Al pointed out happily as he began to head towards the place that would lead them to aboveground.

Ed's eyebrow twitched. "Great reunion."

Mustang was going to get a kick out of this.

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Being Fuhrer wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Correction: being Fuhrer wasn't exactly what former Colonel Mustang thought it was going to be. Yes, sure, he had the power to do basically whatever he wanted, including changing the dress code of the female officers (although he hadn't quite gotten the gumption to do that. Being faced with Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye would force any man to reconsider, even if he was the Flame Alchemist), but he didn't take into account all of the damn _paperwork_ that went along with the job.

"Can't we just hire somebody to do this?" he muttered under his breath as he signed a release for something or other. It all tended to fade into a blur after an hour or two. Icy silence greeted his question, and he dared a peek at his lieutenant. He pouted when he received only a glare. So she was still mad at him for not getting his work done earlier. So what if she had reminded him a week ago of the steadily growing pile on his desk, she still didn't have to treat him like such a child. He was the Fuhrer, damn it!

He started to inch his way back slowly from the desk, fully intent on making a quick escape, but the loud cock of a gun was heard in the quiet of the room and he froze. After a moment of quick deliberation, he picked up his pen again and started writing. The click that signaled he was safe came soon after, and he let out another dejected sigh.

A commotion outside of his office made his head snap up, just as Havoc burst into the office.

"Fuhrer! Sir, we just got word Lior's been destroyed!"

Full silence greeted his statement as the words slowly sunk in to those in the office.

"Would you care to repeat that, Havoc?" Mustang said slowly. Surely he didn't just hear what he thought he'd heard. The blood drained out of his face as Havoc reiterated his words.

"All of the townspeople, sir, they're all gone! Witnesses say they saw a light surround the entire city, like that of an alchemy circle, and then all of a sudden…" The man faded into silence as an undecipherable look crossed his face.

"All of a sudden what?" Hawkeye demanded, even though she had a feeling she didn't want to hear what Havoc had to say.

"Then….and then….there were…there were…"

"Spit it out, Havoc!" Mustang said, banging his fist on the desk, causing the other man to jump in trepidation and screw his eyes shut.

"The screams, Sir."

"Damn it," Roy cursed softly, and he saw the shock on Riza's face.

Lior had been destroyed. Again. In the blink of an eye, a whole city had disappeared. It seemed almost impossible that so many human lives had been taken so suddenly, but he had an inkling as to where and why they had gone. Roy had no doubt that they would not be able to come back, not unless a miracle happened. They had been sacrificed to the gate between two worlds. Like two brothers had been sacrificed before. He knew that alchemy was behind this, but what would be big enough to sacrifice a whole city? Had something gone wrong, or did they have a new enemy? If anything, he would pay. Pay for harming what Roy Mustang had sworn on his life to protect. But first, he needed to find the bastard.

"Sir?" Hawkeye said. "What do you need us to do?"

He paused briefly to give a mental thanks to his old Lieutenant. There was no hesitation on her part, and she knew him well enough to know that he would want vengeance.

"Gather the team," he said, the authority he'd seemed to be born with coating his voice, making them stand at attention. "We leave tomorrow morning for Lior to investigate what happened there. Prepare for a hunt as well. Whoever did this will not escape. Dismissed!"

"Sir!" they both saluted and began to leave his office.

They had barely opened the door that had slammed shut due to Havoc's hasty entrance than a louder commotion started.

"Good God, what now?" Roy muttered and he saw Riza's jaw drop. Now that was _really_ interesting. He walked to the doorway himself, and had to resist the urge to let his own mouth go slack.

"Colonol Mustang!" a young, familiar voice piped up as the owner of a voice walked down the hall with a sullen young man following.

"Alphonse?" Mustang said in disbelief. He looked behind the boy to see none other than Edward Elric, a scowl on his mature face. "Full-metal?"

"Don't look so happy to see us," Ed said in a sneering voice. "I don't think my heart could take it."

"But how…why?" Mustang was not one to stutter, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Full-metal and Alphonse were back in this world. It should have been impossible unless…

…suddenly everything clicked in his mind with such clarity, he blinked. "Gentlemen, in my office. Now."

Even Riza blinked at the hard tone her former Colonel had used as she ushered the two boys, no, young men, into the office she had just vacated. She closed the door in Havoc's face as he tried to follow, communicating with just a look.

Ed was looking around the office when the door closed. "Man, this is nicer than your last office. I can't believe that you actually became the Fuh-" His sentence was cut off as with one smooth move, Mustang hand a hand around his throat and his back against the wall.

"What did you do?" he asked in a low, deadly voice that made Riza do a mental doubletake. She'd never heard that tone from him before and was unsure if she should stop him…or if she could stop him.

"Brother!" Alphonse said in a panicked voice, but Ed shook his head frantically for him to stay back. The throat around his neck was firm and tight, and completely unmovable. He knew the Flame Alchemist was a formidable man, but never before had that realization made itself clear in that moment. In the same low voice he asked, "What do you mean?"

The hand tightened minutely, and Ed was finding it hard to breath. The Fuhrer's voice spoke again in that same monotone voice, signaling that the man himself was working hard to reign in his emotions, another reason to be worried. "Just what in the hell were you thinking? I thought that you valued human life, swore to protect it, and yet you sacrifice people just to make it back to this world? Thousands of innocent lives just so you could be happy…"

"What?! What are you talking about?" Ed choked out.

Mustang's eyes flashed dangerously as he gave the Full-metal alchemist a sharp shake, signaling that his patience was wearing thin. "Don't give me that bullshit! Lior's destroyed, and on the same day, you and Alphonse reappear in this world. If you think that my intelligence in low enough to not put two and two together…" His voice trailed off as Ed slumped down.

"Lior's been destroyed," he said in an empty voice, staring at the floor. Mustang noticed his hands were clenched. When Riza stole a look at Alphonse, the shocked look of disbelief and anguish on his face almost took her breath away. "So that's what happened," Ed continued on, his voice still eerily quiet and resigned. "I was wondering what had been sacrifice when we found ourselves under Central but I never thought…never thought that _that_ city would have been used again." He looked up as he was set back on the ground, almost gently. He met the now inscrutable eyes of his former Colonel, not knowing that his own eyes radiated a grief so deep it was familiar to the Fuhrer. He had felt it himself in the past.

"What happened, Ed?" Roy's anger had left him, and now he just wanted answers.

"I don't know. Al and I were in the other world beyond the gate. Al had drawn a transmutation circle in the sand for old times sakes, and the next thing we knew, we were back here."

"It's my fault," Al said quietly. "If I hadn't drawn that stupid transmutation circle, none of this would have happened."

"No," Mustang broke in. "Someone from this side deliberately sacrificed Lior to open that gate. To bring you back, or just coincidence, I don't know, but we need to find out. I assume that you want to go to Lior with us to catch whoever did this."

Ed gave a wicked smile, and Mustang was forced to notice how much he had grown up. How much both boys had grown up. He blinked, and said in a deliberately surprised voice, "You finally got taller."

A vein popped out in Ed's forehead. "What happened to your eye patch?" he replied in kind. "I had finally gotten used to the idea of you having that awful thing."

"People heal," Mustang replied with a tight smile.

Al sweat dropped, apparently sucked out of his depression by their bickering. "Everything's still the same."

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After Riza had settled Ed and Alphonse in a spare room at headquarters, she headed back to the Fuhrer's office to talk to her commander. She found him sitting in the dark of his office with just the moonlight shining through the windows, casting him in the shadows. He had his hands folded in front of his mouth, staring moodily into nothingness. It was a look she had seen far too often, one of the few who was actually allowed to see past the mask he wore on the outside. This was the true Roy Mustang.

"I hope you're not brooding over the fact that Ed's almost as tall as you now," she said loudly, causing him to jump and stare at her. Good, she thought, don't let him get too absorbed in his thoughts where I can't follow.

"You exaggerate. If he was almost as tall as me, he wouldn't be able to walk properly with his old automail. He hasn't been tuned-up since the last time he was here," Roy said finally. There was a companionable silence for a few moments before Riza spoke again.

"Why do you think this happened, Sir? Why Lior again?"

Roy looked out the window at the moon, pensive once more. "I don't know," he admitted. That was just another sign of how much he trusted Riza...to anyone else, he would pretend that he knew everything. "I don't know if Lior was targeted on purpose, or if it was caught in the backlash of something bigger."

"Something bigger?" she said with her brows furrowed. He spared her a brief smile.

"We need to keep a close eye on Ed and Alphonse on this journey."

"Ed and Al? Why?"

"I think that someone is targeting them. Someone that purposely brought them back."

"What makes you think that, Sir?"

"I have this…feeling. Call it a hunch. But I think someone is after Ed and Al." His face showed a mild annoyance, as if it bothered him to not know why he thought that. But something had been tugging at the back of his mind and just didn't feel right about Ed and Al's appearance.

"Sir, I think that what you're proposing is impossible," she said carefully. "Even if someone was trying to bring back Ed and Al, they couldn't have possibly known that Al had done a transmutation circle in the other world. To have both transmutation circles happen at the exact same point in time…the statistics of that are almost unthinkable."

He stared at her for a long moment, making her resist the urge to squirm. Then he gave her another small smile, this one a little more…intimate, for lack of a better word.

"See that's why I like you, Hawkeye. You're not afraid to tell me when I'm wrong."

"Someone has to, Sir," she said, hoping that he wouldn't be able to see how that small smile affected her. He was just complimenting her as a fellow officer, that was it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Another moment passed in charged silence, before he seemed to blink and shake his thoughts away. Then he leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head, stretching.

"You're probably right," he said breezily. "The odds of that happening to Ed is virtually impossible. Forget I said anything."

She took that as her dismissal and stood up to walk to the door of the office. However, as she stole a glance behind her, seeing Roy's face basked in moonlight once more, mask back in place, she couldn't keep herself from opening her mouth.

"I'll keep an extra eye on Ed and Al, regardless, if it's all the same to you, Sir."

She didn't catch the expression of mild surprise, and then another small smile on his lips as she left.

-The night was late (or the morning was early) when Al awoke to find himself alone in their room. Groggily he looked around the sparse room, trying to find out where his brother had disappeared to. Slipping out of bed, he trudged to the door to look out into the hall, and sighed when he saw Ed sitting on the window sill, one leg dangling out.

"Why aren't you asleep?"

Ed didn't look away from gazing at the moon when he answered. "I'm just thinking about some things. I'm sorry if I disturbed your sleep."

Al didn't respond and Ed finally tore his eyes away from the scenery to meet the shrewd eyes of his brother. It was amazing how Al could know what a person was thinking, even if that person didn't know it themselves.

"Are you worried about what you're going to do now that you're back in this world?"

Ed laughed humorlessly. "Return to being a dog of the military, I suppose. I don't know how to be anything else but an alchemist."

"It's not just being a dog of the military. You can help people with your alchemy. I can help too, now. We'll be dogs together."

Ed smiled at his brother. "Thanks, Al. We'll do our best now that we're back, right?"

Al beamed. "Right." He walked up to look out at the starry sky, and said almost casually, "When are we going to visit Winry?"

He could feel Ed tense up beside him. "I…don't know. I haven't thought that far yet."

"Bull," Al said. "You're afraid of what she'll think now. This is the second time you've been back, but you've been gone for so long, and now you wonder if she even cares anymore." He caught Ed's scowl and knew he had been correct. His brother had always been easy to read. "You don't need to worry, you know. This is Winry, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," Ed said. After Al had gone back to bed, his thoughts turned to the blonde mechanic once more. Of course he remembered. He couldn't stop remembering. Her eyes, her smile, her voice…just her. He had grown up, and found himself missing her more than he thought possible. And now that he was back…

He sighed. Why did things have to be so complicated?

All that kept running through his head until he saw the beginnings of the sunrise was how Rizenbool was right on the route to Lior.

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This chapter is also mujitsu's, not mine, my chapters are 3whatever


	3. Journey to the East

**Chapter 3: **

Journey to the East 

"Ahhh…." Winry let out a slow sigh as she twirled her wrench on the countertop. There was just nothing to do. She watched a lazy butterfly fly in through the window. The injured butterfly settled right by the wrench and rested.

The Rockbell house, a house of rest for all. A house of rest for even those who would not be returning home. "I wonder what Al and Ed are doing right at this moment, right now…" Again Winry lapsed into her silence. She wished that Ed and Al were there, so she wouldn't be so lonely. Sure there was granny and her neighbors, but those two had been her companions for years. Her childhood friends. The people she had become close too, and had even loved. It had been four years since she had seen them last. She walked upstairs and stood on the deck. The air was so crisp and clean, hinting of summer breezes yet to come. Winry breathed in the refreshing and cleansing air as the tears that were welling up flew away in the breeze. Then Winry saw a figure walking up the path toward the house.

"Oh, maybe it's a customer." Winry walked downstairs to go greet the new person that would play a role in her life from that point on.

"Full Metal Alchemist, we will find you."

"MUSTANG!!! STOP!!! YOU-AH" The car swerved again, and Alphonse looked like he was going to puke. Then Mustang drove the car at a fast, but not jolting speed. "Your going to make Al puke!" Edward continued shouting from the back seat.

Roy was dodging traffic dangerously again, with his J14. Riza was calmly staring out the window. She seemed to be unaware of the dangerous driving habits of her superior.

"Shut up Full Metal! We need to get there fast in order to catch the train right?" Roy turned around, and sickenly reminded Ed of that car crash in Germany. His neck hurt just thinking about it. So he calmly nodded and sat back.

"Don't know why we couldn't just walk…" Ed grumbled from the back seat.

"Good!" Roy turned back to the wheel just as Riza had been inching her hand over to correct the vehicles direction. 'Men and their pride.' Riza thought.

Edward leaned up over the seat. "But hey! Fuher Bradly had someone drive him all over the place, and Riza is usually your chaffuer, so why are you driving anyways?"

Riza scowled in the passenger seat. A chaffuer? She was more than that, for sure, and she was more capable than that. Shove a stick up his-beep-.

"Well Edward, some of us can actually drive!" Roy smirked. Alphonse had told them of some of Edward's newfound passions, one of them including driving. Which he was getting better at, but not a whole lot at a time. And it didn't help edward's pride that Alphonse was naturally gifted at it.

"What was that?"

"Nothing Full Metal, get a hold on yourself." Roy slowed the veihicle down considerably, seeing as there was an accident, and they had to inch around it. "Besides, no one knows I am gone, seeing as Havoc's filling for me." Roy said under his breath. Then he heard a slight popping sound coming from under the vehicle.

_Roy's office _

"Sir!" The men saluted to the man behind the desk. The imposter gave them a wave.

"At ease men. Go tell Brigader Breda that I ask of his assistince." The man said with a 'I'm great, your not' air. The loyal militants nodded and left the office, not aware of the imposter except for the badly dyed hair.

"Huh, now I know why you wanted to pawn your job off unto me Mustang." Havoc looked despairingly at all the papers on his desk, or shall we say 'Roy's' desk. "I suppose it would be tough, since YOU LEAVE ALL YOUR PAPERWORK WITH ME!!!" He laided on the desk and let out a sigh. Then he looked at the paper on top.

"Need new team of militia to assist in Lior suburb cleanup." Havoc read aloud. "Need more food and water supplies for Lior residents." He picked up the next memo, which looked considerably more official. Then he saw Edward Elric's messy script on it. "What is this?" His eyes scanned over the piece of paper in his hands. Then he leaned back into the leather chair he sat in. He rubbed his hand over his face and let out a small chuckle. "So, the little squirts still alive and fighting? Doesn't surprise me, never actually thought he had died in that attack."

To keep Edward Elric's gate crossing a secret and under wraps, Roy had thought it would be convenient to say that Edward had died. Many militia had died that day, one more casuality shouldn't hurt? That was Roy's thinking. He didn't think that Ed and Alphonse would try to get back through the gate, and to his knowledge they hadn't. It seemed to Roy and everyone around him, that someone else wanted Edward back in their hands for their own evil purposes and doings. Or were the intentions so evil?

Roy covered his face with his hands. How embarassing, Full Metal had been correct. They should have just walked.

Roy stared down at the flat tire, looking disbelieving while Riza searched for the elric brothers. They had stopped because Edward and Alphonse wanted to renew their passports while they were in Central. Roy and Riza had waited by the car until they had come back, but the tire popped.

"WHY GOD WHY!?!?!?!!? I BESTOW MY HATE UPON THIS VEHICLE!!!" Roy was kicking the tire with insane fury while Riza contemplated on what to do.

"Please stop kicking the tire sir, it will only make it worse." Riza said calmly with her arms crossed. Roy could act so childish. Roy didn't listen though and continued to kick the expensive car, breaking the headlights and denting the bumper. "Stop, you're making a scene sir."

Roy turned around with a look of irritation as Riza stated the obvious. Then a bright idea came to him, he had to find the damn spare tire! That was it! Roy had to change the tire before Full Metal could return and ridicule him. "Riza, where's our spare tire?"

"That is the spare tire sir." Roy sat down on the curb, a picture of defeat. Why did his vehicle have the spare on? Then he recalled running over a nail last week while he was out on a date. He also recalled being late to the play because he had to change the tire, and the girl never calling him back. Ah, that's why the spare tire was on the car. How perfectly, wonderfully, astonishingly dreadful in the highest sense.

Then he saw two wonderful girls to pass the time with. One was brunette the other blond. They both had tiny waists and huge breasts. Perfect women to pass the time with, Roy thought. How perfect was this moment.

20 minutes later after Roy approaches such girls

"There we are, good thing Clara had a boyfriend that could bring us a tire, right sir?" The blond smiled at him as she wiped her hands with a rag. Roy's veicle needed to be fixed badly, but he had always forgot. "Now, this is only a temporary tune-up, you'll need someone else to look at it before too long. I'd say about a week."

Roy smiled, and left to go sit on the curb. Riza obvserved this and knew that Roy had taken a double blow to his pride, and he couldn't take anymore. "Here's your payment, thank you." Riza nodded at them and motioned to them that it was time to leave.

They didn't listen, because Edward and Alphonse were walking to the car, talking. They had finished getting their passports and now they were walking toward the car. "Hey, we don't need payment, but if you want to introduce us to those two sexy men coming toward the car, that would be nice." The blond winked at Riza and Riza knew that Roy had heard the comment. She had to think fast.

"Well, I'm sorry Ms but those two are gay. Right now they are unavailable, if you know what I mean." Riza never knew a blond and brunette could walk so fast in heels.

Edward was confused. "What was that all about?" He asked Riza when he saw the two girls with big breasts walking away. More like running, but hey.

"Nothing Edward." Riza walked over to Roy and told him that they were ready to leave. He nodded and rose from his seat on the curb. Time to suck in the pride and leave, he thought. He couldn't take much more.

When they finally got to the trainstation, Edward indquired about becoming a state alchemist again. "So, when are the next tests Fuher Mustang? I want to become a state alchemist again, and so would Alphonse."

Roy looked surprised. HE hadn't expected Edward and Alphonse to want to become state alchemists. They had no reason to, so why would they? He smiled, but Riza knew it was coming and had prepared his paperwork. Roy handed Edward and Alphonse two separate packages. There was a stack of paper in each, the ones on top saying:

"Edward Elric,

I, Fuher Mustang, see you fit to become a state Alchemist of the Amestrian Military and give you the title of:

The Full Metal Alchemist."

There was more paperwork that Edward had to look for, but he just stared at the paper. He looked at Roy giving a look to ask if this was a joke. "I trust both of you have kept your skills in top form?" He asked with a smirk.

"Without a doubt!" Both the Elrics responded. Alphonse looked at his sheet of paper, wanting to see what his title was.

"Alphonse Elric,

I, Fuher Mustang, see you fit to become a state Alchemist of the Amestrian Military and give you the title of:

The Soul Alchemist."

Alphonse looked up from his paper, also in shock. "Congradulations," Roy said with a smirk. "You are now again a dog of the military."

-------

Hey! This is Tsubasa!!! I finally get to write a Full Metal Alchemist story, Hooray!!! But I couldn't of even started without the help of the lovely Mujitsu (applause for her, she wrote the first two chapters and got me inspired)

So, no, I didn't write this all by myself, Mujitsu got me started and inspired my writing. Then she made a public announcement that she didn't feel the "spark" to write the rest of the story. But I felt that the story had so much potential, I asked her if I could write the rest of the story and she said yes! I was really excited to write this, and I hope that you guys have a lot of fun reading it!!!


	4. Those Who Fix the Wounded

**Chapter 4: **

**Those Who Fix the Wounded **

Winry stared in disgust at the dried blood that made up his left arm. The nerves were clearly visible though, which made things considerably easier. "Nasty piece of work, isn't it girl?" The drawled out. HE had a medium voice but his drawl made her shiver. Her eyes reached his face, her eyes full of the hurt she felt for the man. "Is it too tough for you, girl?" His hazel eyes met hers and she saw sorrow. He needed to be healed.

To be fixed.

Winry shook her head and bit her lip. Her grandma had been getting on with age, and Winry now had to run the shop by herself. Her grandma usually stood on the sidelines and watched to make sure of her granddaughters work. But not this time. She was up and ready measuring the necessary areas, like legs and his other arm and his torso. She made no comment, but Winry knew that her grandma was trying to help her and she was succeeding.

"Are you sure? I hope so because a man in Rush Valley recommended you and your skills. Said some of the best mechanics I would ever hope to find would be here." He paused to see Winry's expression. She was known in Rush Valley? Some one had recommended her? Could this be true? The man took in Winry's surprised look and chuckled, it was low but true. "Was he wrong little girl?" The man sighed.

"No, he wasn't wrong!" And Winry smiled. She was learning to be more confident in her work every day, and she knew that was part of what made a excellent mechanic was their attitude. She needed to have a good attitude or else. 'At least it's better than when Ed came here the first time, it's not bleeding anymore.' Thoughts of that horrible night flooded into her mind. She found herself missing them each year that passed. Little by little, she knew she would keep getting lonelier. She didn't want to be by herself when granny died.

Granny Pinako was also worried. Her grand daughter was a strong girl, but she wished she didn't look so lonely all the time. She knew that Winry was missing the boys, and Pinako wished that the boys hadn't left her. She hadn't seen the boys for 6 years, and it upset her. She had raised those boys like they were her own. She had never approved of them gallivanting all over the country and the world, and now they were in another dimension entirely. Winry had only returned from her own adventures when Pinako had asked her too because of increased business, and the trouble of keeping up the shop by herself. She was getting on in years and it was hard.

'I wonder what Al and Ed are doing right now..' Winry's thoughts drifted again.

'Hurry Emma, find the Full Metal Alchemist before the situation becomes dire.' He thought about the alchemical ritual gone wrong that had taken his arm, and almost his entire soul. It was becoming essential that they find the Full Metal Alchemist before he went off in his search again and they couldn't find him. He might even go back to the other dimension. He glanced at his stub of an arm again. He had lost an arm so he could come back without the gate being open indefinably on the other side. HE was not going to go and make more mistakes.

"… SO the whole ride was in silence between Brother and I. Ed looked like he was going to snap. It was frightening seeing Scar and Lust's faces again. I was scared, but Ed was completely calm and bored. HE said it was because he was used to seeing peoples faces in Germany. He introduced me to Gracia and-" Edward slapped a hand over Al's face and quickly whispered into Al's ear.

"Mustang doesn't need to know that Hughes in there too. I think it would just make him angry to know that Hughes is there and he can't see him again." Edward knew that Mustang still missed Mae greatly and would give almost anything to see him again. But the Hughes on the other side was a different person completely and just the face was the same. "Well, anyway," Ed said loudly. "We saw many different sights, I even saw fuher Bradley!"

"WHAT!?!?!?" Roy asked. He had been listening; interested slightly in the conversation, but now he realized that Bradley might have been causing trouble in Germany too. Did he go under the name of this 'Hitler' that Edward had told him about and all the evil deeds this man had done? "What is he doing there?" He settled back down into his seat. All he knew was that this 'Hitler' was dead, so he had nothing to worry about. But still, it bothered him to know that evil existed everywhere.

"He makes movies. He went to the U.S. before the concentration camps though, and we followed him soon after. We didn't want to be on the side of the axes anymore, and we went over to the allies to help them build their atomic bomb."

"Atomic bomb?" Roy was interested. He knew from the demonstration four years ago that this 'Germany' had complicated weapons and advanced guns and military units. This bomb could be something else. What Ed had said earlier, this 'Atomic Bomb' had ended the world war.

"Yeah, the Atomic bomb was devastating. It wiped out a whole city in a matter of seconds. It was made with nuclear atoms and the nuclear atoms combusted when it hit the ground and made a huge explosion. It caused people of Japan to become ill with a new disease called Leukemia because of the radiation. It was horrible." Ed had on a grim look. He didn't like thinking of the devastation he helped create but it was his fate.

He had blood on his hands forever.

"But, hey. Mustang, I bet you would enjoy German woman. Al and I both remember the exquisite beauty of those girls. Hard working and I could eat their cooking all day." He looked at Roy and Roy remembered that Ed was no longer a kid, and he was a grown man. Soon Ed would be looking for a wife, or something.

Al was confused. The girls in Germany looked just as wonderful as the girls in Ametris. Then he saw that look on Ed's face. The look that meant that he was gloating and making the Fuher jealous. Al decided to join in the fun. This chance didn't come around very often.

"Oh really Ed?" Roy smirked. "I don't know if I trust your sense of beauty if you think that you're beautiful!" HE gave a chuckle, point for Roy.

Ed ground his teeth. Then he gave a smirk, copying Roy's manner, "Well, I don't get shown up by a blond that knows more about mechanics than me, now do I?" He raised his eyebrows to signify that he knew what had happened during that tire incident. Ed smiled, as he knew Roy was going to quit. Ed didn't feel like fighting anymore, but it had been a while since he had quarreled with an intellect like Roy. It was kind of fun.

Roy became lost in his thoughts as he saw the green hillsides roll past. 'Who would want Lior destroyed? I don't think it was on of the citizens; they all love their city. I'm sure it wasn't the homunculi, they're all dead. Did the person do this to bring Ed back?' The hills rolled smoothly, slightly hinted with people doing fieldwork. 'Whomever it was had to know where Ed was. And they would have to want him back.' His thoughts drifted to a small town where a girl with blond hair resided. Winry had become one of his good friends after Ed's departure, and then when Al had left, she had stayed with Riza in Central for a couple of weeks. She was hard working and she missed the boys a lot. Had she learned Alchemy? Then he remembered when he tried to teach Winry alchemy. She had been awful, and she didn't want anything to do with Alchemy. Besides, she had accepted the fate of the brothers a long time ago. She wouldn't try to reverse fate, she had seen first hand what happened when you tried to do that.

"Refreshments sir?" A red head girl tapped Roy lightly. The two boys and riza were talking again about their adventures and had snacks from the lady with the cart. He ordered a sandwich and milk (which Edward scoffed at and Alphonse tried to convince him it was important). Then he saw Ed ask Alphonse something and Al looking distraught and uncomfortable. Riza had left the cab, and Roy chose to ignore the conversation and turned to flirt with the redhead.

"It will be weird to see rose again, won't it brother?" Alphonse said with a smile.

"Sure will, I wonder how her baby is." Edward said.

"After being around Noah, I'm gonna call rose that! Its weird to think that we're back in Ametris after accepting that we were staying in Germany." Alphonse sighed and leaned back in the seat. "Its good to be back."

Edward looked suspicious. "Alphonse, are you relishing the fact that a whole city was destroyed in order for us to be here? Are you aware of the damage that has happened?"

Al straightened up. "Look Ed, the refreshment lady's here! DO you want something?" Ed quickly ordered food and coffee for him and milk for Al.

Ed stared down into his coffee. "Alphonse, did you want to come back? Did you know that this was going to happen?"

Alphonselooked distraught and upset. "How could you think of such a thing?" His voice cracked with his sadness. His eyes were full of tears when he looked at Ed. "Do you think I wanted to kill those people?" Alphonse looked down. "We don't even know that rose is alive, or Armstrong. What about the rest of them? I was there Ed, when those people came through the gate the first time. I remember fighting them off. The I remember the panic those people were in." He sighed. "I would never wish for them to be dead."

Ed smiled weakly. "I'm sorry Alphonse. Sometimes I forgot how sensitive you are to things. Then a voice came from Riza.

"We're at the Risembool station." She said as Ed felt the train slow down.

'We're home.' The brother's thought.

--------------

I'm so sorry!!!! TT I meant to have this typed up yesterday, but I was mowing lawn, so I didn't get a chance!!! Anyway, I'm glad I got this typed up. You see, I have all the basic stuff written down in a notebook right now, like the conversations and what the characters are feeling, its just not polished, its raw. Anyway, I have a job and I only get 2 hours in the morning to type this up and post it. SO I'm sorry, I should have this story done by August though, September at the latest.

Thanks for the reviews, it helped me go faster. If I had thought nobody was reading the story, I wouldn't of kept going. Thank you. This chapter is for the three souls that reviewed, thank you soooooo much I send you hugs


	5. Welcoming the Missing

**Chapter 5: **

**Welcoming the Missing **

"Now this is the most painful part of the process. Are you prepared?" Winry gave a serious face to the man. The man nodded and leaned his head back, but Winry could see him grit his teeth, preparing himself.

"I'm used to pain. How do you think I got this way?" He gave a small smile. Winry smiled back and pulled the switch that connected the man's nerves with the piece of well-crafted machinery. She gritted her teeth and cringed as she heard the man's cry of pain. "AHHHH" The man gasped then he shut his mouth and sucked in a hard breath and concentrated on breathing. He could feel his nerves reconnecting, and he didn't think there was much more pain than this. OR was there? For him, at least, he had never experience this much physical pain. Then he remembered the story of the Full Metal Alchemist, who, at 11 years old, did not even cry out in pain. He was a grown man, and he had cried out. A little 11-year-old runt had this pain administrated to both his arm and leg, and he had not cried out once. According to his legend.

But was that all it was? A simple legend of two mystical alchemists defying everything, even the most basic of alchemic laws. And they lived. Were they just legends that Emma and him were just chasing after fruitlessly?

"Okay." Winry wiped her forehead and let out a breath. "Now, you should be able to move your fingers in about a…" Winry thought and smiled. "Month?" She looked at Pinako to confirm it. Granny nodded. "But don't push yourself, that is essential. Otherwise, you'll be bedridden for weeks. Take it easy; you won't gain full function for a couple years still. Your problems of having only one arm did not dissolve, now they've increased because you need to make sure to take care of the new auto mail. You need to get your auto mail checked every month until you gain full function. Then you can just get it fixed when it breaks and tune-ups every two months." Winry thought of a short young man with blond hair, who only returned to get his auto mail repaired.

"Well, now I have a goal. Simple goals, but goals nevertheless. I have two years to gain full function of my arm. That process starts now." Winry nodded in agreement. 'At least he is more accepting of the healing time than Edward. He did it in one year. I still can't believe how determined he was or how many times I had to fix his auto mail after I caught up with him.' Winry almost laughed at that. It did seem like he did seem to like to break her auto mail. But when he broke it, she always thought of his danger. The danger that always seemed to find him, wherever he went.

"You know," Winry said, making the man look up, "Somebody very close to me once showed me that a strong will makes all the difference." 'Don't need to mention that the somebody was also very stubborn, and he probably wouldn't of been satisfied as a regular person.' Winry thought of his warm golden eyes and his determined jaw. His face had become kinder with age though, or so she remembered from the last time she saw him. His voice had also become quieter and he learned to think a little more. She just knew it from the way he acted. And according to Roy Mustang, his alchemy was just as good as ever.

The man gave a questioning look. "A strong will, huh?" Then he stood as Winry led him to a spare room that he could stay in for now. 'A strong will…'

-----------

"No, we shouldn't stop. It's a waste of time." Roy said.

"But Ed needs his auto mail repaired sir. He can't function as well if his auto mail is in poor condition." Riza said. Edward and Alphonse were talking to the train conductor who wanted to catch up with the boys and comment of their age.

Roy grunted. "Fine, but we're staying only as long as we need to. As fuehrer I need to investigate the damage done to Lior and such." Riza nodded in agreement.

"It is your duty sir. I know that, and so do they, but…" Riza trailed off, uncommon for her. "But Edward and Alphonses family also resides here. I think it is important that they see them." Riza gave a meaningful look as to why they should see them. "Besides," She continued, "That girl, Winry, is also there."

Suddenly Roy thought of an important mistake. "Brigadier Hawkeye, where was the Elric brothers location for the past four years, according to the public?"

Riza also noticed the error. "They were killed during the attack of central. We didn't think they would come back sir. They promised they wouldn't open the gate on their side so the public believes they are dead.

Roy groaned mentally. "That's what I thought. What a mess, now we need to say that the brothers are not dead. We don't' want to encourage bringing people back to life." Then Roy turned to follow the Elric brothers, whom had started walking, and Roy shrugged. "Guess it can't be helped. Boy, the whole country will be confused. But I need Edward, his skills were still quite good when I last saw him, and he hadn't used them in two years. I hope his skills have stayed intact."

"I'm confident in Alphonse and Edwards' abilities, sir." Riza said.

Roy turned and gave a small smile that quickly turned wicked as the wheels in his brain started to turn. "Hawkeye, give orders to Havoc and Fallman to start rumors of intensive drug treatment that the brothers went through. They stayed out of the public eye for this reason.

"Yes sir!" Riza saluted and turned back to the train station to use the phone. 'I wonder if we will be able to get a hold of Havoc.' She wondered to herself.

-----------

"So, where _exactly_ is Fuehrer Mustang?" The officer interrogated Havoc.

"I told you, I don't know his _exact _whereabouts, but I know he's heading towards Lior. My orders were to stay put and take care of business here." Havoc looked the female officer straight in the eyes, "I think he was trying to be discrete and not raise a hassle. He wanted to investigate the scene as a low-ranking officer."

"And why would he do that?" She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"So the culprits wouldn't leave the scene and people would just leave him alone." Havoc leaned in as the officer leaned in and he whispered, "It _is _easier to investigate without annoying bodyguards around you." The officer nodded in agreement.

"So, you claim to be under the fuher's orders?" She put her hands on the table and leaned intimidating in towards Havoc.

"Yes." He nodded with his words. "He gives Brigadier Fallman, Brigadier Breda, and Brigadier Furey our orders directly. Or else he sends Brigadier Hawkeye to do the work. If you notice, she's not here either."

"hm…" The officer closed her eyes and tilted her head back. When she opened her eyes she opened her mouth to speak but another officer came in.

"A call from an outside line Officer Schmidt."

"Yes, I'll be right there." She waved over her shoulder. Then she turned back to Havoc. "Okay, here's the deal. Only Officer Foster and I know about the switch. I don't think it would be wise to bring it to the public eye that you were arrested it would cause chaos. I want to thank you for coming quietly." And she strode out of the room.

-------

"Sir, there seems to be a problem getting a hold of Havoc." Riza reported to Roy. The brothers had wanted to stop for something to eat and they were just finishing their meals when Riza came running up.

"What's the problem?" Roy stood.

"How much longer is it going to take for us to get going, fuehrer?" Edward groaned from his seat. He was itching to see Winry, and this loser was slowing down progress. Roy scowled at him and turned back to Riza.

"Havoc is under custody of two officers who found out his identity. No body, but those two officers, knows about our switch. I don't think it was wise to have Havoc sign all those papers."

But Roy was already going up the road.

He stepped up to the phone and dialed the direct number Riza had given him. He talked to Officer Foster and told him to put officer Schmidt on the phone. "Hello? Is this Officer Anne Schmidt? Good, this is the Fuehrer Mustang. I have s_pecific_ orders for you to obey…"

---------

Havoc observed as officer Schmidt walked back into the room. She was carrying two coffees and a pack of cigarettes. "Mr. Jean Havoc," She said while tossing him the cigarettes and a lighter. She set the coffee on the table. "I believe I have come to an understanding of your position, and I want you to continue your duties. You have been doing a good job, and it is not my place to reassign you new orders that conflict with your previous orders." Havoc raised an eyebrow as he lit his cigarette. He opened his mouth to question her, but she raised a hand. "Please. My ear has already taken quite a beating and right now I need peace and quiet." She smiled and stood. "As I said, keep up the good work. Our fuehrer will be back as soon as he can." She winked at him, "So lets not let the public know they are under an imposter, okay?"

Havoc nodded.

She flipped a card onto the table, "And here's a card to good beauty parlor. Go have your hair done right this time please?" She walked out of the door.

Havoc picked up the card and read it for a moment. "Hmmmmm…." He paused as he looked at the door, "Officer Schmidt…"

-------

"Hey, can I get you anything before you leave?" Winry poked her head into the guest room door where the man was packing up. He shook his head. His new arm was in a sling and he was packing with his other arm. Winry walked up to him.

"What's your name?" He looked at her and looked away.

"Its of no consequence." He closed the case.

"Yes, it is. When you come in for repairs, I need to know your name, don't I? I also have to put you on file."

He thought for a moment. "I see. My name is Patrick Hawthorne." He picked up his case and walked towards the door with Winry trailing after him.

"So where should I send the bill?" And Winry smiled. Patrick searched his pockets. 'Drat! Emma took all of my money for her search.' He quickly gave Winry his address and turned to walk out the door. "Where are you staying Mr. Hawthorne?" She inquired.

"At a new hotel down the road. I will come see you a couple days like you said."

"Okay." She nodded as she held the door open for him to walk out of. As she stood watching Patrick walk away, she saw a group of people walking up the path. They were still far away, and she couldn't see their faces, just that it was a group. They were obviously coming to the Rockbell house because it was the only house left to go to, otherwise it was fields. She thought for a moment and laughed to herself.

'Wouldn't that be funny if that was Ed and Al?'

------

"Your repair shop is quite a walk from town Full Metal. Must not be good for business." Roy observed as they walked toward the house. He had been here for holidays in the past a couple times, but he always forgot that you had to walk to the house, but his feet remembered walking through 2 ft of snow, so he wasn't going to complain with the hot weather.

"Actually, the business is really good, fuehrer." Alphonse said, remembering back to when he was last here. "Ever since Winry became famous in Rush Valley!"

Ed remembered that trip. That was when he saw his teacher too. Shivers still ran down his back. "So, fuehrer Flame? Is the walk to far for your old feet?" Edward smirked.

Roy let out a low chuckle, "Well, Full Metal, I could run there. But what about you? Is that leg still to heavy for you? I guess your still to short to be hauling around such heavy equipment!"

They bickered like that for a while. As Riza observed she noticed some things. Like how they still trusted each other, even though they hadn't seen each other in years. And how, when the men were with each other, it seemed their personalities had never changed. 'That's right, Ed's approaching his 23rd birthday soon, and Alphonse will soon be 22.' She smiled. 'Though it seems they were never gone.'

"Ed! We're almost there!" Alphonse pointed to the house and everyone looked.

Ah, the Rockbell home. The house that had always been a beacon of hope to him during his the war.

----------

_"What's wrong with you!?! Stand! Fight! Fight for Germany! For Hitler!" The solider dragged Ed up. He and Al had collapsed from exhaustion. They were only fighting for Germany, because they resided there. Ed didn't know why Hitler wanted to create a 'Superior Race', he just wanted out. Ed clamored at the dirt walls until he found a stone in the mud. The rain kept falling, but Ed was reminded of a house that was his rock. His beacon. Hitler's objective reminded him of the homunculi. Killing others and tearing the country apart for their own objectives. _

_Edward decided to switch sides at that point. He'd had enough with the war. Of being in muddy trenches and becoming sick with fatigue. He was sick of hearing his brother cough at night from the cold. And most of all, he was sick of the bloodbath that he was currently in. _

_Edward took Alphonse with him. They went under different identities and went over to Britain, fighting along side the Allies. Then, the brothers went to America, where they could assist in building superior weapons and airplanes. Eventually, their geniuses lead them to be a part of the Atomic bomb building and research. People had always asked the question, "Now, two boys like you. Aren't your parents worried?" The boys always looked at each other and said, _

_"We have no parents." _

_"What about your family? I'm sure they are worried about you." _

_"They don't know we are here."_

_The person always tsked and walked away, not knowing that these boys were from a parallel universe, a different place than this world. _

_Edward remembered one night with Alphonse. He didn't know why he remembered it in particular, but he did. _

_"Ed?" Alphonse opened the door to the lab slowly, peeking around the corner. It was nighttime and the room was dark, except for a single light shining from the desk. Ed was editing designs for the bomb. The bomb was scheduled to fall on Hiroshima soon and Edward was in charge of the final marks. It was stressful, and Alphonse was worried about Ed being up so late. _

_"Yes Alphonse? Is there something you need?" Ed turned slowly. His jacket was on the back of the chair, lying loosely. Edwards face was tired, but his eyes were determined. He was into his task to bring peace to the world he lived in, in whatever way he could. It was sickening to think about what the bomb would bring, death being his main thought. But, he wanted to help. It was important to him and his brother. Ed turned back to his work, making marks on the large piece of paper. _

_"I know that we live here brother, and that we should help the people here. But, I was wondering, don't you think we should be finding a way home instead?" Alphonse walked up behind his brother, the dim light reflecting on his face. "I mean, this war is not in our world." _

_Edward paused in his fast paced work. He turned slowly to look his brother in the eyes. He stood and looked at the ground as he did so. Then he slugged Alphonse in the face. Alphonse staggered backward, a shocked expression on his face. _

_"What was that for?!?!" He shouted. HE rubbed his face and stared his brother in the eye. _

_"Brother, never ever wish to go back. It requires a death, and I will not see someone suffer again for the sake of our happiness. We CANNOT open the gate! Accept it, and become a citizen of this world. This world IS your world now." Edward realized he was gripping Alphonse's collar, and he released him. Ed looked deep in Alphonse's eyes and spoke slowly, "We can only remember the ones we lost, but we cannot return to them by our own means. You and I made a choice when we passed through that gate. Now we must live with it." _

Patrick was walking down the road when he passed the group. He took slight notice of them, when he noticed the blond boys. They looked like the Elric brothers all right, but he looked for the telltale metal arm. He did not take in any signs of auto mail on the man, so he didn't bother checking the other one. 'Impossible, they could never be the Elric. It is inconceivable.'

But Patrick had looked at the wrong one.

------

Ed walked up to the door, and carefully knocked on the wood and waited there in silence, while Alphonse stood at his side. They could feel each other's muscles contract, and they became more and more tense with every passing second.

Was Winry even alive? Was she here? Would she recognize them? Would she even want them back? Had she found someone to spend the rest of her life with? Was she happy if that was so?

The questions kept running through his head, endlessly as the seconds ticked by…

---------

Winry heard a knock at the door as she washed off her hands from fixing Ren's leg. She unzipped the top part of her mechanic uniform to reveal the classic black tube top she wore underneath.

"Hmmmmm, now who could that be?" She wondered aloud and she set her wrench on the bench. "Oh, that must be Cheska, she said she would stop over soon, but… I think it's a little too early for it to be her." She walked to the door and turned the handle, her lost childhood friends and a part of her family and soul on the other side.

When Winry looked up, she looked into a pair of warm golden eyes. She immediately relaxed, even though she did not know why. "Hi…" She trailed off, as her eyes took in long blond hair kept in a low braid, the broad shoulders, the kind face and slight smile playing on his lips. He was a couple of inches taller than she was, perfect for kissing. A slight beard was growing on his chin, making a more rugged looking face. She knew that he was someone she cared about deeply; she could feel it in her gut. But, who was he? And whom was the man standing next to him?

Then, all the sudden, memories of two little boys making a doll for her with a strange circle came to her mind. Memories of two boys going off to learn alchemy with a strange women, who was now dead to this world. Memories of a blond boy pulling himself from a plane crash in an underground city. And that boy disappearing from her life with his brother into a world where she had finally accepted that she wouldn't have him in her life anymore. And his brother, a boy who had kept searching for his brother, even though everyone had told him it was impossible. His blue eyes full of happiness, not knowing what he had gone through as a suit of armor with only a soul.

"Edward?" Winry whispered, tears filling her eyes and brimming over. "Alphonse?" Alphonse nodded slightly with a smile.

"Hi," Edward said, bringing Winry back to his warm golden eyes and his smile at seeing her. "I think I need my auto mail fixed, do you think you could help me out?" And Winry flew into his arms, sobbing.

And, many years later, Alphonse could swear he saw a tear run down Edward's face as he hugged Winry tightly with him looking on, and he smiled.

"Welcome home." Winry whispered into Edward's ear. "Welcome home…"

--------

There you are! I was slightly tempted to cut it off before they met, but I decided to be nice. I can feel myself growing as a writer as I write more and more seriously. I wanted to set a very romantic, yet sad, setting for the last chapter. I think I almost cried while writing it, but I doubt it will have that effect on anyone else…

I dedicate this chapter to the girl who went on vacation for a week and I missed updating for her. I felt bad about that.


	6. Can You Measure Time?

**Chapter 6: **

Can You Measure Time? 

"Ed, you've gotten taller." Winry said as she measured his leg. 'He didn't beat it up too badly.' She thought. There were odd particles here and there, but Edward had kept up with his auto mail quite well these past years, regularly fixing his equipment.

Edward never thought he would get to see Winry again. Her smile had faded into his memory, but its force had knocked him backwards. She was truly happy to see them again. He had made sure that his auto mail was kept in top form, because he had always thought that he wouldn't return. And he wasn't about to settle for anything but the best after he got the best. He was going to take damn good care of that precious equipment if it killed him.

Alphonse had been enjoying Winry's company too. She had greeted him with a hug so tight, he thought he would choke. He missed the warmth the Risembool house offered, it was his home, and the familiarity always made him feel relaxed. It had seemed like Edward and he had just left, and they were returning home. But it had a sad air, mixed in with the happiness and warmth. The sad air of Winry's loneliness washing away and her worry sinking in.

"Winry, of course I've gotten taller! Do you think I would still be shorter than you in four years!" Ed gave an angry face and Winry flashed her smile again.

'He hasn't changed a bit!' she thought. But his face had grown, perhaps more mature with age. His hair was the same as always, if perhaps, longer. Alphonse had decided to decline his brother's fashion and keep his hair short. It was a sandy blond, slightly darker than Edward's.

"Ed, I wouldn't still think that, but this auto mail is just too small for you." Winry bent down to record some of Edward's measurements in a book. As she tucked a stray blond hair away from her face, Edward became slightly embarrassed. Here he was, sitting in a chair in his underwear. He had done this many times before, and it was nothing new, but all the sudden he felt embarrassed. As Winry went up to Edwards left arm to measure, he felt her soft hands touching his bare skin, and he felt redness come up to his face.

Too bad he didn't notice Winry's red face, which was shining a brilliant red.

Alphonse had learned over the years to watch everything and to assess everything he saw. He smiled as he saw a slight blush covering Edward's face. He smiled thinking, 'Huh, I was right. Edward did miss Winry more than he let on.' Then he saw Winry's face, a deeper red than Ed's. Right now they were both looking away from each other, and Alphonse was wondering if he should break the fragile silence. Then a memory floated to his mind of long ago…

_"I get to marry Winry!" _

_"NO! I get to marry Winry!" _

_"Nope, Winry's gonna marry ME!" _

_"No, she's going to marry me!" _

_The two blond boys argued back and forth quietly on the way home. They were arguing about their futures, on who was going to marry Winry. They had already decided that Winry had to get married to one of them, because they were the only boys she knew really well. Or so was their reasoning. _

_Winry was behind them, quietly watching them as they bickered. She could tell that they were arguing, but she didn't know what it was about. She was only eight, and she was preoccupied earlier with some other little girls. The boys had been arguing the whole way home._

_"Hey, you guys!" She yelled in her small voice. She was carrying a soft rabbit with her. It was soft because of how many times she held it and the way she brought it around everywhere with her. She trotted up to the two boys and walked in-between them. She looked at their faces, or tried to. They both were not speaking to each other and they were facing away from each other. "What were you guys talking about?" Winry was slightly taller than both of the boys at that particular time. _

_Suddenly Edward turned toward Winry with a tough look on his face. _

_"Winry, are you going to marry me or Alphonse?" The group had stopped walking as Winry stood there. First, slight shock was on her face, then her eyes wandered to the sky as she thought of her answer. Then she closed her eyes and hung her head slightly. When she opened her eyes, she looked straight at both of the boys. _

_"I can't marry either of you." She said in a matter-of-fact way. Both the boys dropped to their knees in exasperation. Neither? Why? Did she already have someone else in mind at eight years old? _

_"Why not?" The boys said at the same time. _

_"Because," Winry paused for a slight effect, not knowing how it was going to turn out. "I can't marry anybody who's shorter than me." And both boys fell to the ground. Little did Winry know, but this incident would sprout problems for most of Edward's teenage life. _

As Alphonse thought back on this incident he decided to act upon it.

"Well Winry, I guess you no longer have any reasons not to marry Ed, huh?" He stated out-of-the-blue.

Both Ed and Winry sputtered as they tried to find the right words. Finally Winry spoke.

"I-I-I-uh- Why do yo-you say that Alphonse?" She said in a slightly giggly tone, trying to keep it light, "I-I-I never agreed to marry Ed!"

Edward, trying to keep his pride quickly retaliated, "Ye-yeah, when did I say I was going to marry Winry, ALPHONSE!" He said in a strong tone, hinting very clearly, that if Ed _had _ever mentioned he was going to marry Winry, Alphonse should just stay quiet. Edward didn't know exactly what he had said during those drunken incidents after the war ended.

Alphonse smiled knowingly. "Oh Ed, you remember," Ed was on the edge of his seat trying to stay still, seeing if Alphonse was going to bring up one of those drunken incidents. "When you were 7 years old, you and I conspired to see who Winry was going to marry. And Winry said she couldn't marry anybody shorter than her."

Edward looked like he did whenever anybody had mistaken Alphonse for the Full Metal Alchemist. Devastated and destroyed.

Winry's face was even redder than before as she remembered the embarrassing incident. Why was Alphonse bringing that up now? And why was she so embarrassed? She quickly went back to her notes and softly asked Ed if he would stand.

Alphonse, seeing the mayhem he had caused for the two, quietly excused himself, looking for something to eat. For months after Alphonse had gained his memory of his days in the suit of Armor, he had forgotten what it was like to be hungry and have to eat. Same with sleeping. As for Edward, he had to cut back on sleep and eating for a long time, because he was no longer supplying Alphonse's body with nourishment. (Manga, vol. 11). He found himself lying in bed at night staring at the ceiling, wanting to fall into his dreamless sleeps. But when he did fall asleep, what he found him in his dreams, were horrifying.

Winry finished up Edward's leg. "There you go Ed." She said as she fitted the temporary leg onto Ed. His right arm would just stay off, he said that he didn't want the weight right now and he didn't really need it.

Ed examined the temporary limb. "I know its temporary, but this is still better than what I had in Germany."

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!?!?!" Winry shouted with her teeth gritted.

Ed realized his words and quickly made up for it, "No, I mean before I had the other ones." When she was still there tapping her foot, making that wrench look pretty dangerous, did he go farther into detail, "Before Alphonse was with me!"

"Oh. Okay…" She hung her head, embarrassed that she had overreacted so much. She was very self-conscious about her work, and she put Ed's approval above everyone else. So, if he had dismissed her work to be trash, then she would of taken a blow to her mechanical skills.

Ed stood, balancing himself on his leg. "So, when can my auto mail be finished?" He asked. This was the question that always made Winry sad. It meant that Ed was in a hurry and he wanted his auto mail as soon as possible. So she answered slowly.

"I'm going to take my time with it Ed. It will take me 2 weeks at most though, and 5 days at the least. I've learned how to make it lighter and sturdier. Dominic taught me how."

Ed pinched his nose and closed his eyes. "You know how impatient Mustang is, don't you?" He opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, but this is so I make it right Ed." Winry walked over to him and took his hand in hers. He blushed and looked at his hand then back to Winry's face. Her face was so open; he could see that she wanted to do this very badly. She wanted to do it right. "Please, can I do this? I promise it will be the best auto mail anywhere."

Ed smiled. "But I thought I already told you, I have the best auto mail mechanic in the world, and it cannot and will not be beat." He let go of her hand and said solemnly, "You helped me walk again. To stand on my own two feet. The things that I have accomplished, I could of never accomplished them without you." Ed turned to walk out of the shop, "Take your time Winry, if you need to." And he headed out the door to go eat stew.

With Milk in it.

That night, Ed dreamed. Or would you say, he had nightmares. It seemed that he always got the same nightmares, or dreams. It depended, yes, but he relived scenes every night. Without a break, they seemed to find him every night, after he had listened to everyone else go to sleep.

His dreams depended, or course. Sometimes it was his death, or when he brought his brother back to life. Sometimes it would be when he saw Lior being destroyed, and now, as he lied awake he thought of Lior's destruction again. And he was afraid.

Afraid of what might find him. Blood covering ruined streets, bodies. Then, there might not be bodies, there might be nothing. Desert ruins, like the ones of Celeckiniess. The city that vanished in one night. (Manga vol. 10 & 13)

And now what was he going to do with Winry. He knew she was too stubborn to see him leave again and leave her waiting. She would insist on coming with. But he didn't know what to expect and he didn't want her to see the destroyed city. Armstrong was in Lior, along with Rose. Were they dead?

There were too many ifs. If Winry did go with them, there was nothing he could do about it. And he would just have to learn to accept it. Accept that whatever happened, it would be his destiny. And if another was involved, it was too there fate. Sometimes fate was cruel, and he could do nothing about it. But every once in a while, fate dealed a different card.

And that night, for the first time in a long time, he fell into a dreamless sleep once again.

The door creaked open as Winry looked in on the two sleeping brothers. They slept in two separate beds. She had listened to their breathing for hours, just to make sure they were asleep when she made her entrance. She was wearing a regular white nightgown, and she shivered in the slight cold.

She tiptoed over to the Edward's bed and watched him sleep. He slept with his face to the wall and his back to her. She saw the muscular back through his shirt. She quietly set her candle on the floor and knelt next to the bed to watch him sleep. Before, she had not had time to study his face. And when he was sleeping, his face was calm and serene. He looked so mature to her, that his face mesmerized her, and caused her to be motionless.

And before she knew it, 3 hours had passed, with her just watching him breath. Winry was starting to get sleepy. It was late, she knew, but she couldn't leave. And before she knew that she did it, she laid her head on the bed, and leaned against the frame.

Ed woke with a start. He hadn't even realized he had fallen asleep. His eyes flitted open, and he realized that something soft and fuzzy was against the middle of his back. 'Okay, it can't be a rat, its too big.' As he tried to rationalize what it was. 'Then again, it could be a big fat rat.' He temporarily thought of just killing it quickly, but he didn't want to wake Alphonse. 'Okay, I'll just scoot over and turn slowly, just to see what it is.' The moonlight was shining brightly through the window, so he knew he would have to problem seeing what it was.

'Okay, slowly…' And he pushed himself over and up to reveal what had been nestling in his back.

And he was taken aback. "Winry?" He whispered automatically. Her arms were on the pillow, as she peacefully slumbered. He was about to wake her up, when she spoke.

"I want to keep you safe Edward." That was all she said.

Edward knew that he couldn't carry her by himself all the way back to her room. The easiest option was to just push her onto his bed, and have himself go find somewhere else to sleep.

But where? The Fuhrer was downstairs, sleeping on the floor, while Riza was in Winry's room in Winry's bed. Where was he going to sleep?

'That's not the issue at hand right now!' He concluded. He put his arm under Winry's legs and scooted her unto the bed.

Now the issue was at hand. And he found himself stumped. Then he sighed and decided that he had to wake his younger brother up after all.

"Alphonse, are you awake?" Edward gently shook his brother out of his slumber.

"What is it Ed?" He opened his eyes sleepily. "Can't you sleep?"

Ed shook his head and pointed over to his bed. Alphonse's eyes widened as he realized that Winry was sleeping on Ed's bed.

"What should I do?" Ed groaned as he sat on the edge of Alphonse's bed. He ran his hand across his face as he thought about his options with his brother.

"Brother, I don't know. I guess you can't tell her to scoot over like when we were little kids." Alphonse said with a smile. Edward gave him the look of death, meaning that this was not the time to be acting funny. "Sorry. I'm not helping." And he went back to thinking.

"Alphonse, we are not little kids anymore. And that is the problem. Winry used to do this when we were younger, to make sure we stayed in bed. But now that we are older, I don't know what to do." Edward looked out the window at the moonlit sky. The grass reflected the moonlight with its morning dew. Then Edward's eyes wandered over to a burnt tree, marking where his house had been. "Alphonse, I'm going to go for a walk." And Edward rose from the bed where Alphonse was.

Alphonse, following Edward's eye direction, knew that Edward wanted to be alone.

"Okay Brother. I'll wait." He smiled as he stretched out on the bed looking at the ceiling. Edward quickly got dressed in his normal black clothes and his red cloak. The insignia of Izumi was on the back.

As Edward walked towards his house, he thought of Izumi. He thought about how much Sid must miss her and ache for her. They had such a strong bond with each other. Edward also missed her. She had cared for Alphonse and he for a year, like she was their mother. She had a motherly spirit about her, and, as Edward thought about Wrath, how that spirit never died. She lived on in Ed and Al's memories. Winry also missed her, confessing about how she used to visit her whenever she could. She touched a lot of lives, and Edward was sad to realize she was gone.

Why did it seem that way? People kept dying around him, and he wasn't slowing down to say his goodbyes. So much had happened, he didn't know what to do. He shouldn't of come back. That was reasoning. This should not have happened. He felt bad that all he came home to was death, and life. Life in the body of Winry, and her strong spirit.

'And I'm alive too.' He thought as he touched his chest. His right arm was gone, and his leg an artificial limb, but he was alive. His heart was beating and his eyes were open to the world. He was alive.

And right now, that was all that mattered. He was alive.

Roy awoke to the sound of the door closing and sat up. He was wearing light blue pajamas and his hair was in disarray. He got off the couch and went to the window. Full Metal was walking away from the house.

It looked like he was fully awake, because he was dressed. Roy didn't know why Edward was up, but he was sure that Ed wanted to be left alone.

It was funny, the twist his life had taken when the Elric brothers had become apparent to him. He remembered the struggles they had faced and the struggles they had yet to face. Perhaps. He remembered Ed's empty eyes when Roy had seen him in that wheelchair, and how mature he looked when he was sleeping.

Hoeinheim. He was their father, and they tried to reach him, helping Roy find them and their disastrous alchemy. Hideous and disgustingly potent was that smell he smelt on that rainy night so long ago.

Since then, he had realized his ideals changing, fitting to help the Elric's whenever he could. Was that enough? No, he remembered Riza's words at Mae's funeral. 'When it comes to those boys, you don't always do the most rational things sir.' He had come to the realization long ago that it was the truth.

And he was proud of it.

_A burned tree. _

_An empty house. _

_Housing empty memories, now just memories in the mind. _

_Never to be spoken. _

Ed stared at the damn tree. It was still a signal to signify what he and Al had done.

_A cruel body lying on the floor. _

_A heartbeat, beating out of its chest. _

_Edward reaching for his brother, who had been taken by the truth. _

Why was it? That we remember the most horrifying experiences of our lives? Ed thought about that. Was it because it is etched into our memories, to make us never forget what we did? The crimes that could never be forgiven?

That was their punishment. And Ed and Al were living with it. End of story, end of chapter. Now Edward and Alphonse, they wanted to start again. Perhaps he would start a new chapter, with Winry at his side.

For eternity.

'Where is he?' Alphonse wondered. Edward had been gone for a long time, and it made Alphonse nervous. Then he heard Winry moan and groan from the bed across the room.

"Uh…. Where am I?" She said as her eyes wandered about the room. She took in the settings, which she found herself in and gasped. She noticed Alphonse looking at her from across the room. His arms were behind his head and he gently tilted his head towards her and held a finger to his lips, a single for quiet.

"You're in the room Ed and I share." He said simply. "Ed went out for a walk, after making sure you were comfortable. I'm starting to worry though." Then all the sudden he stopped and they both heard the front door shut from down below, and boots walking on the floor. Soft footsteps and they made their way up the stairs. Alphonse turned toward Winry, "Don't you think that maybe you should back to your own bed Winry, I'm sure Ed is tired." He gave a knowing smile, knowing that Ed was exhausted from his mental confusion.

"Yeah, you're right Al, I'll leave." She got off the bed and went towards the door. Her nightgown was loose, and made her feel naked. The ends whispered against her legs, making her shiver. As slowly turned the handle, she realized that she didn't want to bump into Ed, wanting to avoid him. As she heard the footsteps come to the top of the stairs, she was relieved to hear Mustang's whispered voice come up the stairs to ask Ed what the hell he was up too. She turned the handle and crept out the hall, not wanting to intrude on Ed and Roy's conversation.

Ed could swear he heard doors shutting behind him, but he dismissed it as he talked with Fuhrer Mustang.

"Ed, you know that we need to leave for Lior and inspect the damage, right?" Roy shot him an accusing look for staying out too late. Like a child missing his curfew. It was the first time in a long time that Ed had been treated that way, and he didn't appreciate it.

"Look, I just couldn't sleep, and I went out for a walk. Sorry for inconveniencing you." Ed said under his breath. He had stuff on his mind, acceptable wasn't it?

"Well, I don't want you complaining tomorrow, I don't stand for in contempt solider." He said in his commanding voice. He walked off to go back to sleep on the hard sofa. He hated not having hotels.

Ed went in his room and took off his coat and undressed. When he was in his pajamas, he got in bed, and noticed the slight warmth in it, and recalled why he left in the first place. 'She must of left.' He said goodnight to Al and slept.

And that night, for the first time in a long time, he dreamed.

The morning light shone in Winry's eyes as she opened them. She sat up in bed and looked for Riza. She saw Riza in an extra bed with her back facing Winry. Riza's nightclothes were loose, like Winry's and Winry noticed a tattoo on Riza's back. It was large, and slightly deformed by a burn scar. Riza's hair was covering some of it, so Winry couldn't see the whole thing, only hints.

'I wonder where she got that.' She wondered. Then Winry dressed in her usual work clothes and woke Riza and told her what time it was.

"Oh, okay." She said as she rose off the bed. Sometimes she felt so old next to Winry. She was already pushing 30, and she still had not settled down. She didn't know if she ever would. She pulled on her clothes carefully, now that she was alone in her room. She was still tired.

And she was worried about Black Hiate. Furey was taking care of him for now, but Riza still worried about the pup. He was like a child to her, and she planned to call Furey later today to confirm that her dog was safe.

Mustang had wandered to Ed and Al's bedroom where he could change. He dressed in Military clothes, but then decided against it, and wore a simple black t-shirt with black pants. He also carried a jacket, just in case. He came out of the room, all ready for the day when he ran into Riza. She was dressed in a black shirt and pants also, and he smiled. They were so alike, so wonder he had made sure that she was promoted with him.

All of his officers, when he had become Fuhrer, had become Generals. They were only second to him, unless they were doing illegal activities. Then officers, like Schmitt and Foster, were called in to do investigations.

Like Hughes.

Roy shook his head, 'No good to be thinking about the past.' He thought to himself as he followed Riza down the stairs. He watched her body move with grace and dignity and smiled. 'Only the future can hold hope.' His thoughts wandered to Eliza and Gracia. Elicia was 10 years old now, and she still held fond memories of her father. Hughes had told him once to help him watch over Elicia when she began to interact with boys. Roy smiled as he thought of the over achieving family man, and how he was always irritating him when the line was not secure, and how serious he could become. He had always been goofy when allowed too, and everyone knew that he had been a valuable investigations officer and fighter. It saddened Roy to this day.

"Okay, what's for breakfast, we're starved." Ed and Al both sat down at the Rockbell table as Winry and Riza brought out plates and food. Ed and Al both piled on food that they hadn't eaten in years. It was better than they could of ever imagined. Winry quickly slapped their hands away after they had become annoying in their sloppy manners.

"Really you two! What's the matter, don't they have manners in wherever you were?" Her hands on her hips she looked imposing and Ed stopped the fork halfway to his face to look at her. The scrabbled eggs were carefully balanced as he stared at her.

'When did she grow up?' He wondered to himself. And as Winry looked at him, he reminded her of when he was 5. She softened as smiled as the memory brought back some funny things.

"What?" He asked. Alphonse was just like him, if softer and more boyish. Ed had always had a stern face, making him look his age at times, but Al's was softer. Less experienced in use.

Winry smiled. "Nothing. Its just that you haven't changed at all Ed." Ed was obviously not happy to hear this as he shot her a look of pure evil. He continued eating, if perhaps more politely. Alphonse followed his lead and both began to eat like well-mannered people.

Roy noticed this exchange, and remembered his ambitions after reaching fuehrer. He had once thought about it. He wanted a family, like Hughes had. Hughes was always happy and smiling, and Roy had thought that had come after he had become a parent.

Riza's thoughts had also drifted to a family. And her dog, playing on the grass, in a nice countryside home likes this. Where she could lie in the sun, and not worry about things, beside what she was going to make for dinner that night. It had always been a secret fantasy of hers when she was dreaming at night. For, as she had heard somewhere, a dream is a wish your heart makes. She thinks it was an old saying passed down, or something to that effect.

Winry was working in the shop, building Ed's leg. Ed had wandered in without her noticing and sat on a chair, watching her work. He noticed her eyes scrutinizing the piece of art, as she screwed in a screw, and flexed a spring in the leg. Ed noticed that the design was different, and wondered what she had done. He saw the steel frame of his arm on the other table, something Pinako had set up the night before. She was getting on in years, and could now only help with doing the shell of the arm or leg, before Winry added in the main parts. Beside, Pinako recognized Winry's talent and let her imagination run wild. Winry's skill had surpassed Pinako, and all Pinako could do was offer guidance and watch.

Winry leaned down and blocked Ed's point of view. He had always wanted to watch Winry work, but for some reason, never had.

"Hey, move, so I can watch." Winry looked under her elbow in surprise.

"Ed?" She said slightly blushing as she remembered what she did last night. 'Please don't notice, please don't notice!' She thought to herself, sending a private prayer to God.

"Who else?" He non-chaletly said. "I'm just here to see how you do it Winry."

Winry gazed down at her work. "Ya know Ed? I was scared. When I saw you leave, and then Alphonse didn't come back. I cried for a long time." She was staring at the limb. Life would be brought to it soon and she smiled through her tears.

Then she heard Ed get up and she turned around. His back was to her as he faced the door to exit the room. "I missed you too Winry." And he walked out.

Ah, now that is a long chapter!!!! Its like 20 pages, because, it seemed I just couldn't find the right place to stop. I need to have that feeling. I feel this chapter is important, and I don't know if it makes perfect sense, as I said, I've gotten very emotionally involved with this story, and sometimes putting out my emotions doesn't come out quite right. Review and give me your thoughts, and I like it when people critic my stories with a thoughtful eye. It makes me see, "oh,. I see." Yeah, that's all I have to say. Sorry for the wait.

This chapter is dedicated to my good friend Singing Waters!

Happy 4th!!!!!


	7. Docking Time

**Chapter ****7 **

**Docking Time**

"So, what do you plan to do with the boys now, sir?" Riza was walking with Roy to get some bread while Ed and Al stayed behind to prepare for docking. Riza had expressed interest in the process, so they were waiting until the two of them returned to the house.

"Hm, I supposed I should assign them to more serious assignments than I have in the past." He smiled into the horizon. "They are adults now. They are no longer children."

"I don't think they ever were sir." Riza said. "Now they have nothing to search for, unless they choose to keep looking for the philosophers' stone."

"No, I don't think they will." Roy said. "I think the main objective with that was to Al's body back. Now that the objective is cleared, I wonder if they will still search to get Ed's limbs back."

"I wouldn't know sir." Riza said.

"Well, on that note, I think I will send the boys on rumor cases."

"Rumor cases?"

"Yes, thing the military should check into. We don't, because no one likes to travel all the time. Most of its fruitless anyway. Nevertheless, I had always wanted Ed and Al back to do that kind of work. Sometimes you stumble upon illegal activities. I think that Ed and Al would be good at doing it. They can search for the philosophers' stone if they want then."

"Do you have any in mind?"

"The man in charge of Buchenbrak, he makes me nervous. I have heard rumors of him trying to commit some sort of crime. However, I don't know. They people in the town say that he sits up in his house all day, ignoring the town. The town is continuously raided, and the man in charge, Darner, has been trying to become a state alchemist for years. I saw him at his last appearance, and his alchemy is reckless and dangerous. Unpredictable and never sure of the outcome he wanted." He ordered the bread and biscuits that the Rockbells had asked for. "Like I said, a dangerous man."

Riza nodded. She understood completely, as little as she knew of alchemy, she understood why the man was dangerous. Edward's alchemy was always sure and quick, as was Alphonse's.

"Why haven't you replaced him, if he is dangerous?"

Roy shook his head. "Again, no one wants to that out of reach. Buchenbrak is out in the west, the middle of nowhere."

Riza paused. "Well, sir… you could give orders for immediate removal and reconstruction. Soldiers don't disobey orders, and as Fuhrer, it's your job to ensure the safety of your people."

Roy paused and continued walking back to the Rockbell house, which was now in view. "I'm not going to force anyone to go where they don't want to." His hand made a fist as they walked on. Riza took notice and looked at his clenched fist before looking up to see Alphonse waving from the house.

"Sir, I think those boys will want to bring that girl with." Roy looked at Riza, his brow furrowed.

"That could be a problem."

------

"And the moment you've all been waiting for, DOCKING TIME!" Winry put her fist in the air as Ed groaned from his seat. "Oh stop complaining Ed; you want to get to Lior right?"

Ed was about to open with mouth in reply, but Roy gave him a look from the bench by the wall. Therefore, in reply he said, "Yes Winry. Of course I want to get all of my nerves attached, all at once, so that I can go to Lior and discover who messed up that town this time."

Roy, Riza, and Alphonse all sighed. They knew it was painful, but all he did was complain it seemed. When it came to docking time.

Winry and her grandma looked at each other and nodded.

"One," Winry said.

"Two," Pinako said.

"THREE!" As they turned the handles, Ed sucked in a hard breath and tensed.

"Get off that bench; we are going to lay him right there!" Pinako shouted. Roy hurried to help the two women get Ed over to the bench and lay him down.

"Sometimes we forget," Winry said to the room, as everyone observed Ed as he lay there in pain. "How much it hurts." She sat by Ed with Al, until Ed could open his eyes.

------

"Patrick!" Winry said as she saw the man walk into the shop. She was packing her tools to go to Lior. "I'm so glad you came!" She smiled and wiped her hands on a rag. "I'm going to be packing up the shop for a couple of days, so I was wondering if you would be alright."

Patrick nodded, "Yeah, I was planning on heading to Rush Valley anyways. My sister wants to buy all sorts of fun things there." He made a face, telling Winry he was not exactly looking forward to this.

She smiled. "I'm sure it will be fine. While you are there, you should stop by this guys place, he's an awesome mechanic." She handed Patrick a card with Dominic's name and address on it.

"Thank you." He said and he walked out.

-----

_"Hi Patrick, so you've finally agreed to come to Rush Valley with me?" The voice on the other line said. _

_"Yes, because my mechanic is leaving to Lior." _

_There was a pause. "Why?" _

_"I think Flame and his Nanny__ want something of her." _

_There was a pause again. "Do you think Full Metal is connected to her?" _

_"No, how could he?" _

_"Did you say you were in Risembool? That's where he grew up!" _

_"Oh, then I supposed she could be more than his mechanic." _

_"Yes, but you say he is not there?" _

_"Not that I saw. He could be. I will tell you if I see him when I get to Rush Valley. You better get going." _

_"Okay, good-bye, Patrick." _

_"Good-bye, Emma." _

_----------------------------------- _

In addition, the plot thickens!!!

Thank you to all of my faithful reviewers and people who put me on their story alert lists.

Now, I am going to address two things, the Cleckiniess thing. That is how they put it in the manga, which is how it is going to stay. I like the manga, so too bad! Second, my spelling of Fuhrer, my bad, now I will spell it right, but my computer was spelling it weirdly.

Keep reading!


	8. Not All Memories Fade

**Chapter 8 **

**Not All Memories Fade**

"Ah, its so hot!" Ed complained from the backseat of the car taking them to Lior.

"Shut up, Full Metal." Roy commanded from the front seat. Riza was driving, silent as usual.

"You know, my arm and leg are metal instruments, and metal gets hot easily." Ed complained, finding reason to complain.

"But that is only if the metal is in the sun." Riza said from the front seat. Ed took a blow from this as Winry smiled.

'Just like old times.' She thought to herself and looked out the window. Then Alphonse pointed to a dot in the distance.

"That's where Lior is!" He said excitadly. He was happy that he was going to see Armstrong and Rose again. They weren't in the city when the accident occurred and they were conducting clean-up crews now.

As annoying as Armstrong was to everyone else, Roy respected him as a solider and left the city in his hands a long time ago. Now the clean-up would go quicker, seeing as he had two skilled alchemists besides himself to repair damge.

Riza had asked an important question before they had left for Lior. Roy trusted Riza, and her opinion was highly regarded and taken seriously when she voiced her opinion. He now thought of what she said as the car rolled gently through the hills.

---------------------

_"Why are we bothering with Lior, sir?" Riza stood on the last train platform closest to Lior. Winry, Ed, and Al were all arguing about seating arrangements and didn't notice the question. _

_"It is a city that has had enough pain. It is, as you said before, essectial for the Fuhrer to take care of his people and his cities. Lior is important to people, it would reflect badly on the military if we didn't address the problem." Roy gave a nod and motioned to the car for Riza to get in, but she voiced her opinion again. _

_"There is hardly anybody left, sir. Wouldn't be a waste of time to go to Lior and take time to fix it, again?" Her feet were together, toes pointed out, hands behind her back. Years of military serivitude had made her quiet, but she had a quick and intelligent mind, a fact that was not lost to Roy. _

_Roy paused and chose his words carefully. "There are times, General Hawkeye," She stiffened at the use of her title, "When a leader must step forward and do the right thing. And sometimes the right thing is not always the easiest." He turned away from her to head towards the car, the bright sunlight making his eyes squint. "I trust you will follow orders loyally, General?" _

_Riza nodded. She knew he was right, but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were wasting time. She was about to tell him this, but he cut her off. _

_"I also want to find out who commited this crime, Miss Hawkeye. It is a Fedrel offense to use alchemy in Lior for dangerous perposes. Alchemy is only to be used as a useful skill, and nobody is registered in Lior for these skills. I want to know who didn't register as an alchemist, and who commited a massacre, intentional or not." He walked to the car, and Riza followed. _

_No more needed to be said. _

_--------------------------------------------- _

The conversation stuck in his mind like a weed, feeding off of his doubts and worries like water and sunshine. Choking good, positive thoughts from his mind. This was not a good thing. He watched the rolling hills and sighed.

For some reason, being Fuhrer was not all it was cracked up to be.

---------------------------------------------

"So, this Patrick guy. Where is he now?" Ed asked Winry. She had been telling him of all her new costumers, and Ed had been particulary interested in this one, especially when Winry spoke of him in such a familiar manner.

"He went to Rush Valley. I think he said he was meeting his sister there or something. Also, he'll be with automail experts, so if something goes wrong, someone will be there to watch out for him." She was worried though. Even through everything, she was still worried.

"Winry, your automail is the best! Even though Ed swung it around like crazy, it never jammed. Patrick's will be just fine." Alphonse smiled. He was sure that Winry's automail would be as good as it ever was.

"Still, its different for new users, isn't it Ed?" She looked at him, but he wasn't paying attention. When Alphonse nudged him, Winry repeated the question, a little more angriliy this time.

"Yeah, I'm used to it," Edward smiled, even though the smile was slightly sad, "But you wouldn't know that I have had my automail for years, the way I swing it around!" Winry hit him.

"So," She said, attempting to spark the conversation, for it was flickering, and the fire of it had been keeping her warm. "I'm sure you guys have some really good stories, huh? Can you tell me what _you _guys have been doing these past 4 years?" She smiled, then she noticed the sad look shared on their faces.

"Not all memories are good Winry. You know that." Ed said before he looked out the window at the sandy horizon. Alphonse tried to appeal to him, Ed had taken the war harder than he had.

"Ed, its over now. Please brother, lighten up a little bit." Alphonse tried to grab his brothers shoulder in an effort to get him to loosen up.

"Alphonse, don't you understand?" Ed said turning. He shouted it out, gaining the quiet attention of the front seat. "We killed a lot of people. They used us, Alphonse! They used our knowledge and our skills for their own purposes!" He grabbed his face with his hand, and Winry quickly looked away.

'No one can really understand his pain.' Roy thought from the front seat. He could smpthasize, because of the Ishbal massacare, but it was still different. For al he knew the cause could even be more pointless.

--------------------------

_"Brother, what are we doing?" Alphonse asked. They were packing their bags, and Alphonse saw that Edward was packing walking shoes. They were leaving the base, but how far. Alphonse's face looked tired, but Edward's was worse. His insomnia showed plainly upon his face, and Alphonse was worried. _

_"We're leaving. Come on Al, you're smart, I would've thought you'd figure it out." Ed was packing his precious tools inside velvet lined boxes. Much like a musician would care for his instrument that payed for his bread. _

_"But why are we leaving?" Alphonse knew that what they were doing was wrong, but at least they had shelter, and they were being payed for the research they conducted. After the military had recognized the brothers skill and intelligence, it set them to work designing wepons. _

_"Because we are on the wrong side, Alphonse." _

_"But, why do we need to pick sides?" Alphonse pleaded. "Can't we just search for objects that have made it through the gate." _

_Edward stood from his crouching position. He turned, looking at Alphonse in the eyes. Ed's eyes were shining with the intelligence, integrity, and experience of an older brother. Alphonse quickly looked away, he couldn't stand it anymore. _

_"Alphonse, I told you a long time ago. This is our home, and if it goes to war, we go to war too. We can choose our sides, but we need to fight. We are simple humans, made up of simple materials, and we are just soliders in this war. Things are as they should be right now, Alphonse. Accept it, and live." Edward looked down. "I also know what they are doing Alphonse, and it isn't pretty." _

_"What do you mean?" Alphonse said catiously. This could be threatening. _

_"They are killing people. Innocent people, because of their beliefs." Ed looked stearnly at Alphonse. "Sound familiar?" _

_Alphonse gasped and his eyes widened in horror. No! This couldn't be the truth, the truth… was… not this! Or was it? Alphonse became lost in his thoughts, as images or people dying in front of a firing squad, gas chambers he and Ed helped design, killing people? This could not be true! _

_Alphonse saw Ed stash some blueprints into his cloak, folding the table-sized pieces of paper into tiny squares. Edward was stealing some new designs, and what he was going to do with them, Al had no idea. _

_"Brother, are those the blueprints for the atomic bomb those people wanted us to build?" Ed gave a curt nod as he threw on his cloak, Alphonse quickly followed suit, protesting, "But they'll kill us if they find us! Those are blueprints for their master plan, without them, they will lose!" Then it dawned on Alphonse. "You're giving those to the other side, aren't you?"_

_Ed nodded again. "And I don't care if I die in the process, though of course I've had enough dying for my life. My conscious will be clear at least. What abou tyours?" _

_"I will help you." That simple exhchange sparked an entire journey. Across mountains, confronting officers from both sides. Narrowly escaping death. Still, after all of that, their concious' were clear. _

_------------------------------------------- _

"I guess you got a real looker this time Havoc!" Breda was congradulating Havoc on his successful date as the two were eating at an outdoor diner in Central.

"Yeah, she's great!" Havoc said. The date had gone extremely well, in terms of past dates for him. "She's a worthwhile girl, and shes inside the military, so she understands my sceduale."

"Are you going out again tonight?" Breda asked biting into his steak. Havoc was buying.

"Yeah, I got two tickets to a play I think she'll enjoy. She said she would go, so I'm hoping it will go well." Havoc smiled as he sipped his coffee. He couldn't wait for tonight.

When the two got back to the office and Havoc continued looking at the important paperwork that was piling up, the phone rang.

"A call coming in from the outside sir. The code is 6-7-8-2."

"Okay, send it through." Havoc cringed as a familiar voice wafted through the phone.

"Havoc? Its Mustang." Havoc straightened as if to salute. The power of voice, expeccially one so intimidating.

"We are in the last town before Lior. I'll call you the next time I can."

"Sir!" Havoc almost saluted again. The line went dead, and when Havoc was about to hang it up, it rang in his hand.

"Hello?"

"Call coming in from a military line, code 6-4-1-2."

"Send it through." And Havoc waited for the line to connect.

"Hello, am I speaking to the fuhrer's impersonator, or has the fuhrer himself returned?" The voice said. Havoc relaxed.

"Hello, Officer Schimigt. How are you?" And his thoughts were rid of Mustang for the time being.

----------------------

"Patrick!" A small woman ran up to a tall man at the train station and hugged him. A passerby noticed something strange about them, but she couldn't pinpoint the cause. 'Strange pair.' Was all she thought, and she went to continue her trek across the country, now landing in Rush Valley.

"Hello Emma, your looking well." Patrick said, looking down unto his little sister. He hugged her tightly, she was his sister, and he had missed her.

"You're looking better than when I last saw you!" She patted his arm. "I guess you're all fixed up now, huh?" She smiled and carried Patrick's solitary suitcase.

"I can't really move my arm around that much, just my fingertips." His arm was in a sling for traveling. He had to get used to moving around his automail, and it took time. Then he paused while she talked about walking in the desert a couple of days, and climbing over mountains. Looking at her, you would never believe she could do any of those things.

Of course, it was entirely possible, seeing as she couldn't die.

-------------------------------------------------------

Ooo, aren't I mean? Thanks for the requests, and I'm sorry, but I didn't put more EdXWinry. I know it seems odd, but I don't want this to be a romance fanfic, but I will put more in the future. Next chapter, they are in Lior… I know I've drawn in out, but there is so much I wanted to get out before they made it to Lior.


	9. The Deserted City

**Chapter**** 9 **

**The Deserted City**

"How… is this… possible?" Winry gasped. The proud city of Lior, was now nothing more than desert. The one exception to this was a small shed on the outskirts of where the city would have been.

Roy grimaced. It was a simple repeat of the incident before. Only now, he was confused at who had done it. For all he knew they had sacrificed their life as well in the transmutation. Who knew… it was a mystery to him.

"Investigations are here already, correct General Hawkeye?" Roy addressed her without even looking at her and she gave a swift yes to his remark. "Good, I want all reports they have so far. Has anybody investigated that shed on the outskirts yet?"

An ordinary solider from the investigations department addressed the question. "Yes, we looked and we believe that is where the transmutation took place." Roy nodded and hit the man on the shoulder.

"Good, tell the investigations team we will take it from here and to rest." Edward looked into the sun, motioning to Roy how hot it was. The solider nodded and departed.

"Full Metal and Al, go to the shed. Investigate the circle, if it is left there. General Hawkeye, take an investigations Colonel Tain. He will help the Elrics understand what happened." He walked toward the headquarters tent and spoke again in a more lighthearted tone. "As for me, I have to attend to business in the tent."

Winry looked around with a lost expression on her face. When she tried to follow Ed and Al, however, she was stopped and directed toward the tent.

"Stingy officers, I can't even look in on the crime scene, I'm just the help." She mumbled. She wanted a part of the action, and they were not giving her it. She was sure that Alphonse would fill her in later. However, she did not know about Ed, he never had really told her anything in the past.

She saw Roy discussing some things with investigation personnel and she sat down in a cloth chair and relaxed.

"My, if I didn't know better I would say the sun has come in here. Your hair is so yellow and blond." An older solider came up to Winry and sat down. "My name is Brigadier General Block, maybe you remember me?" Winry smiled at the familiar face and motioned for him to sit down.

"Hello Mr. Block. How is Ms. Ross these days?" Winry smiled at him, glad to finally know someone here.

"That's going to be Mrs. Block one of these days." He said with a sigh. "As soon as I can get out of this desert, I can go home and marry her. It _is _past our original date we had planned."

Winry smiled. He finally cornered her into doing it, now he could not go and fulfill his dream. It seemed he always got the short end of the stick when it came to things like that. Then Winry frowned.

"How did you end up in the investigations department Mr. Block?" She asked politely. It just did not seem like he was really cut out for that type of work.

"Well, Ms. Brigadier General put me up to it, saying" Now Block traded his voice for a high-pitched mock of a women's voice. Not-surprisingly, it sounded nothing like Maria Ross. "'It's good for you to go out and try to help! You should go and help the investigations department!' After that she basically signed me up for this mission." He sighed. "I'm not meant for this, I'm a trained officer. I'm meant to lead troops and conquer all, but I'm stuck with investigations as 'protection.'" Winry did not miss the quotation marks in his voice and smiled again. He was such a drama queen! Moreover, by the bored look on the other men's faces she could tell that investigations did not need protection.

Thinking of how things had immediately changed after Roy took charge of the military made her realize what an honorable man he was. There was no more repression of minority groups, no more thoughtless State Alchemists who killed for the sake of nothing, no more neglecting the needs of people. He truly was an honorable man, and she was proud to know him as close as she did. However, she knew Riza was the only one he truly confided in, and Winry could see why. Riza rarely opened her mouth, but when she did, it was something you should listen to. Her wisdom was insoluble, and Winry hoped to one day be a smidgen of what she was.

------------------- ----------------------------------------------

"So, the transmutation took place here?" Roy asked pointing his finger on where the shed was. The map showed a detailed layout of Lior, before it was destructed. The layout also showed where the transmutation lines were in the city. Armstrong nodded. He had been checking the outer cities when the transmutation had taken place. He had seen the red glow, but by then it was too late. He had seen two people running away from the shed, one short the other tall. The tall one, whom Armstrong believed was a man, was clutching his left arm. Except, according to Armstrong, the man's left arm was not there.

"So, did you pursue?" Roy looked accusingly at Armstrong.

"No, my men were panicking, I thought it best not to pursue." Armstrong replied curtly. Roy looked around at the sheepish men who called themselves officers. Weak, insignificant men. Roy scoffed inwardly in his mind.

Roy nodded. This was a mess indeed.

-----------------------------

"What is it Brother?" Al asked. Edward was examining the floor. He rubbed his fingers on the bumpy wood. The knotted surface of the floor would have given him slivers if he were not wearing his trademark white gloves. Old habits die hard he supposed.

"Chalk." He said. "White, perfect for more lengthy transmutations. Like Human transmutation." He gulped. Then he noticed feathers scarcely covering the floor. He picked one up and handed it to Al.

"A… Chicken feather Brother?" Alphonse questioned him.

"Yeah, whoever did this was quite ignorant. They probably thought they could open the gate totally with just chickens. Boy, they were wrong about that."

"Are you sure this concerns the gate brother?"

"Have there been any other mass killings Alphonse?" Edward looked over his shoulder and quirked an eyebrow.

"Uh… no?" Alphonse said. He smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I just wasn't thinking."

"No, its fine. I'm just wondering if they were trying to open the gate, or if they had some other objective."

"Do you think that they wanted to get you back specifically brother?" Alphonse prodded. He was hoping his brother would have found out more than he was letting on.

"I don't know. But they got us, and now they have to deal with us." Edward started pacing the room, talking as he picked up random objects, such as a cage, and sliding his fingers along surfaces. He picked up a blood drop that looked like it lead to the door. However, it was fruitless to go beyond that he knew, because the sands would have swept it away. "I think that the gate was only opened for the small time lapse and shut again. So I don't think we have to worry about shutting it and cleaning up our intruders mess." Alphonse nodded and replied.

"That's good; I do want to stay here with you this time."

Ed nodded again, as if he understood something. He noticed that the blood drops were actually right by the circle, but he had a hard time believe that person actually started the transmutation. Ed thinks they, whoever they were had an accomplice.

Ed sniffed the clotted blood of his glove and cringed. It was disgusting.

Then he saw something that caught his eye. A map. Edward picked it up and motioned for Alphonse to join him. Riza and the investigations colonel remained silent as the boys examined it.

"Look brother, there are notes on the side." Alphonse pointed. And sure enough, there was a womanly scrawl writing down notes. Edward moved a box near where the map was and found a book. Inside there were research notes. Edward casually flipped through the book while Alphonse deciphered the notes on the map. The Edward saw something that made his blood run cold.

_June 5__th__, 1921 _

_I have discovered with my military intelligence that the Full Metal Alchemist and his brother have both escaped to where I cannot reach them. Beyond the gate. _

_Patrick has offered his wisdom and assistance in helping me get the Elrics back. It is essential I meet the little Alchemist and his younger brother. I hope I can confront them, and if need be, kill them if they do not cooperate. _

_It IS a bit irrational, I know. Death is not always the answer. __However,__ if they do not yield to my desires and plans for them, I will not __hesitate__ to kill them. At that point, they will most likely know too much on my existence to live. I cannot let them expose me. I will NOT let myself become a lab rat EVER AGAIN. _

_Therefore__, if I kill them, perhaps I can live a little longer. No, I cannot kill them, as long as I can avoid it. _

_I need to find the __alchemists'__ weak spot. A parent? A childhood sweetheart? A close friend? Anybody would be acceptable__, yes. _

_Anybody. _

Edward checked the date again. It was the day they went back to ametris. This mad person was a disgusting freak. Moreover, it was his responsibility to take them down.

"Alphonse, come here." Alphonse walked over and Ed handed him the entry. Alphonse gasped. He flipped the page expectedly. There were drawings of transmutation circles, Ed and Al, Military, homunculi…

Wait. Alphonse pointed to the drawing of the homunculi, and the scrawl below it.

_Beings to do my bidding…_

"Sick." Edward said. Alphonse nodded.

Whoever this person was, they had a theory. This person has decided that they want homunculi.

"Well," Edward raised his eyebrows and sighed. "It seems we have a job to do again Alphonse."

They walked out of the shed with the colonel and Riza behind them. Edward looked at the map again and noticed a city was circled.

Rush Valley.

"I think that is the place where we will find our man." They walked into the tent and saw Winry talking with Block. He introduced himself as Brigadier Block. Alphonse started talking to him, and Edward quietly slipped the book to Winry, opening it to where the entry was.

Winry gasped after she read it. She tapped Edward on the shoulder and whispered urgently. "I know who they are." Edward looked sternly at her.

"How do you know them Winry?" She was shaking and she stuttered before she got it out.

"P-p-p-Patrick… H-He is a n-new costumer of mine. H-He was goi-going to Rush Valley. To meet h-his sister."

Ed rubbed his face. It looked like they found their capers. It would make sense, everything fit. Now it was time to take action.

Edward went up to Mustang. He presented the situation, and Mustang nodded. This was going faster than he thought it would, and he was happy.

"Good, now I need to get to Rush Valley Fuhrer." Edward said. Winry _kindly _prodded him with her elbow and Alphonse coughed at his side. Edward rolled his eyes and revised his statement. "I mean WE need 3 tickets to Rush Valley. It's your choice if you don't want to come." Ed looked at him and Mustang smirked.

"I need to capture the culprit too Full Metal." He said. They silently made an agreement. They would now travel as a group. Period.

--------------------------

"Emma, where is your notebook? You kept everything in there, and I can't remember if you still had it after the accident."

Emma looked up from the magazine she was reading in the corner. Pinina, a friendly girl with auto mail legs that had made quick friends with Emma after Emma had ran into a pole, had lent it to her to help her understand auto mail. She had a thoughtful look on her face that turned to horror.

"Patrick… I think I left it in the shed, with my map!" Great horror crossed her face as she stood up. All of her research, her diary, her plans, they were all recorded in that book. It was a leather-bound volume, plain black. Moreover, she had forgotten it.

Patrick got up to try to comfort her, but she was in a fit of horror.

"Patrick, not now." She said angrily as she gained control. "All this means is that they have a chance, A CHANCE, of finding us. We just have to keep our eyes and ears open. That's all." She looked out the window at the hills that lead to the desert.

Her imminent doom would be coming over those hills. She could feel it.

---------------------------

Now, for anybody that wants to diss my dates, sorry, but I just do not have the time to look everything up, and I really wanted to get this chapter up. So please, please, please cut me some slack and go with it. It is okay, right?

Thank you to faithful reviewers, and for all those people that have added me to their story alerts, fav stories, and most of all, author alerts. That means you are interested in my other stories, and I am grateful. Thanks, an d I love you all!!!!


	10. The Revelation

**Chapter 10 **

**The ****Revelation**

"There's Rush Valley!" Winry said excitedly. She was going to see Pinina again, and she had Edward again, so maybe she could convince him to buy her new equipment. He _had _mentioned he wanted to buy her a birthday present to make up for the past 6 years he had missed. However, that did not matter to her. She was just glad to a part of presence, to be around his strong aura. He wore cologne, she had never noticed before. She stole a glance at Edward, who mumbled something about 5 minutes and was slumbering peacefully. Alphonse was in rapt conversation with Riza and Mustang.

The investigations team had cleared out after Ed, Al, and Fuhrer Mustang had gotten their lead. Ed had fallen asleep reading the journal. There were pieces of paper sticking out from the leather-bound volume. Winry carefully pulled it out of his grasp, his metal hand letting it go carefully. Winry looked out the open window with the warm breeze blowing hard against the speedy train. They had practically jumped into the last car trying to catch the train, almost having to wait until tomorrow.

Ed had said it reminded him of when he and Al were on the way to Risembool and Armstrong had carried them all the way to the train station. Edward laughed because he remembered he had tried to jump out the window, unsuccessfully, thanks to Armstrong. Al laughed too, remembering his dilemma of being cargo and being cursed demon armor. The armor that would steal your soul after you became one with it. It was not funny at the time, but now they could look back and laugh about it. That was before they had any huge problems, like fighting the homunculi.

Winry carelessly turned the pages, reading excerpts of undoubtedly a women's handwriting. It was more of a scribble than actual writing. Winry thought to herself, 'Maybe the girl who wrote it can't even read her own handwriting.' She smiled at that thought, thinking about how terrible that predicament would be.

Winry felt the train start to slow down, and Mustang, Riza, and Alphonse looked out the window to confirm it. Riza gently touched Winry's shoulder and told her to wake the Full Metal Alchemist when it was time.

"Where are you heading off to?" She looked at the three accusingly. She did not want to be the one that woke Ed from his sleep.

"The Fuhrer needs protection at all times. Alphonse and I will take the Fuhrer to the back of the train, to mingle with the crowd. We do not want him to be an easy target. It would be easier if you and Edward stayed here." Riza replied. Alphonse nodded in agreement and they headed out.

When the train came to a complete stop Winry shut the book, putting the map in the front cover. She gently shook Edward's shoulder, and he came awake slowly.

"Edward?" Winry said softly. "We're in Rush Valley. Riza, Roy, and Alphonse are probably getting off the train by now, I'm sure they'll get our bags." The few bags there were.

Edward opened his eyes slowly, taking in what she said and stretching. "Thanks Winry, let's go." Winry offered him the book, and he took it. He raised an eyebrow, and Winry smiled apologetically. He smiled back and took the book gently.

------------------------------

Patrick was waiting at the station, keeping a lookout for the Elric team. He wore a hat and a bandanna to cover his identity when he saw half the team. The people he saw were Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, and Alphonse Elric. That meant his brother was not far behind, and Patrick headed back to the hotel to report.

He walked through the busy streets, keeping his head down. His sister would not be happy at all, he knew that. She was already up in the hotel room freaking out. What would this do to her?

He walked in through the front door of the hotel, nodding to the man behind the counter. The man nodded back, though he had a suspicious look in his eyes. Something was just not right with the two visitors. They both made him uneasy, and he would not be sorry to see them go. Patrick knew this.

He carefully knocked the secret knock on the door and waited for Emma to open it. She opened the door, with the chain still blocking full entrance, saw it was Patrick and closed it. Patrick heard the chain unlock, and saw Emma swing open the door. She looked him up and down critically.

"What's the news?" She said meanly. She criticized him far too harshly sometimes. Patrick offered his hands, palms up, and shrugged with a smile. Patrick was not as harsh as Emma was; he was by far more understanding.

"Well, they showed up. However, we don't know they are looking for you exactly."

"Stop being so optimistic Patrick. Truly, I think you can be quite an idiot sometimes." He sighed as he stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. Emma was running around the room, frantic. She was throwing things carelessly into her suitcase and Patrick calmly went over to the suitcase and folded things in it neatly. "I mean REALLY Patrick, I knew we should have left the MOMENT we even THOUGHT -!" Patrick cut her off with a calm hand.

"I know Emma. I thought it best NOT to leave suddenly though. It would have been far more disastrous if they thought they had to CHASE us Emma. I still think it is wise that we stayed here. But now," He picked up the suitcase with his not-metallic arm. "I believe it is time to leave." He motioned to Emma for the door.

However, she stood still for a moment. She was thinking of how they would be looking for a woman with that handwriting. However, what if she was not a woman when they saw her?

"Patrick… I need some of your clothes." Patrick looked at Emma as if she was crazy, and he sighed. She was at least 2 feet shorter than he was, and it took a matter of consideration.

"Emma, you're short, small, and all over tiny." He sighed. "How do you expect to fit into MY clothes? I don't have any money for you to buy clothes either." Emma smiled wickedly.

"My dear Patrick, I AM an alchemist." She took out her chalk from under her sleeve, her white glove making it barely visible. She always wore gloves, always. Concealing her odd, discolored arms, he oddly shaped arm. Her clothes covered other deformities on her body. Like a piece of rotted flesh on her calves.

Patrick sighed. "We don't really have time for this Emma." He said, motioning toward the door again.

"Patrick, you underestimate me!" She gasped. She drew a transmutation circle on the bed, making the sheets and quilt into suitable clothes. A simple newsboy outfit was constructed. A white cotton shirt with sleeves that ran to her wrists, after she put it on, she rolled the sleeves up below her elbows. A tan vest was also there, with cheap wooden buttons, along with tan pants that stopped below her knees. She rolled up the stockings up to her knees before she put on her pants, finishing with black shoes. She quickly reached up above her head and pinned her hair on top, finishing the look with a cap. The cap bulked up far enough where it hid the slight bump of her bunched up hair. She pulled the brim of the hat over her forehead.

Then she ran to the fireplace grabbing ashes from the night before. She quickly made herself dirty, spreading it on her face and clothes. Then she turned to Patrick.

"How do I look?" She said, smiling.

"Like a little boy who could be my brother." Patrick scoffed. He was too tall for that kind of getup, so he decided to go as himself. Emma proudly went out the door and ran down the stairs.

The lobbyist had not remembered a newsboy coming into the hotel. He did not like those strange, dirty boys messing around in the rooms. Then he noticed the tall man that made him uneasy. The Lobbyist smiled at the suitcase that the man was holding and at the key, he set on the counter. He also set a wad of bills on the counter. The lobbyist quickly counted it.

"This is more than you we need sir." He pointed out.

"Trust me, you want it." Patrick growled at him. At that, he turned on his heel and walked out the door.

Straight into the Elric Alchemist group.

Patrick panicked. He quickly looked around the busy street for Emma. He found her trying to sell some newspapers. She jumped so quickly into her roles that she took up. Mustang was conversing with a man, talking about a girl and a man with a new mechanical arm. Edward and Alphonse were also scouring the crowd. Winry was looking at auto mail, but then she glanced up, as if she had a premonition. That is when she saw Patrick. Her face brightened and she walked over to him, Alphonse and Edward did not notice.

"Patrick! I should have known you would be here!" Winry said with enthusiasm. She smiled eagerly, and took Patrick's auto mail in her hands. She looked at the hand and machinery carefully. Her trained eye would detect any problems with the machinery.

"Is there any problems?" He asked her carefully. He did not want to attract the attention of Winry's companions. He was sure there would be problems.

'I have to get him over to Ed and Al.' she thought to herself. She had to get their attention, while still keeping Patrick at her side. "Here Patrick, I want you to meet some friends of mine." She dragged him over to Ed and Al, but he was unwilling.

"Oh, Winry, I have to go, uh, get my sister." He said, stumbling over his words.

However, Winry was not about to give up that easily.

"Oh, this will only take a second, Patrick." She called over to Ed and Al, both looking up at the same time.

Edward understood right away. He looked Patrick up and down, motioning to the MPS that were with him. They quickly surrounded Winry, and her 'Guest'. Alphonse, catching on, went over to Mustang and told him that they found one of the suspects. He was becoming more suspicious by the minute.

Mustang smirked and walked over to Patrick.

"Patrick," Winry said slyly. "This is a good friend of mine, Fuhrer Mustang." She said. Handing Patrick over to Mustang and the MPS, Mustang smiled and replied.

"Hello Patrick. You are under arrest for suspicious activity in Lior." The MPS hand cuffed Patrick, but not before Winry objected.

"Be careful of his auto mail. I built it!" She went over and handcuffed Patrick in a special way that only a skilled mechanic could do.

"Winry, I don't understand. I'm your friend, right?" He glanced over his shoulder with a shocked look on his face.

"Sorry Patrick. I'm not in the market for murderous friends." She said. Patrick then sighed. She knew everything there was to know. The heist was up.

He looked over to where Emma was standing. She had a look of non-chalice. He knew she would never save him. Yet, all he did was protect her, go along with her schemes. In addition, her she was, using him yet again. He had enough of this crazy charade.

He was turning her in.

-------------------------------------------------

"So, this Emma girl. Is she really your sister?" Mustang interrogated Patrick. Patrick had told him everything, but where Emma was. He did not know himself right now. HE told Mustang that she was a small girl who was bright, cunning, and sneaky. Patrick also noted that she was a one of a kind girl, and if you saw her, you would know it was she.

Patrick had also drawn pictures of Emma. He was an artist, and the pictures were quite good. Mustang was glad Patrick was on their side, but that would not lessen the punishment any less. Sadly, that was the system, unless they could prove Patrick innocent. Which they could not, and Roy still did not trust him. Patrick made him feel ill at ease.

'Wouldn't Emma be excited? The full Metal Alchemist, I saw him, and he is going to interrogate me after this bloke is done. How stunningly awful.

"Emma was my sister." Patrick sighed.

"Was?" Mustang prodded.

"Yes. She went on a trip, about 6 years ago, to enhance her alchemy. I'm sure that journal that is under possession of the Full Metal Alchemist and his brother would tell you everything you would want to know about her travels." Patrick recalled seeing the notebook, when the elder Elric brother had taken it out to examine something Patrick had said. After nodding and turning some pages, he had put the book back in his bag. This was during Patrick's earlier interrogation, by both the Elrics. Ed said that he would come back, after eating something and talking in private with Alphonse and Winry.

"And then she finished her trip?" Mustang prodded. Patrick had already answered these same exact questions from Ed, but he knew that is was to check the story. Analyzing and re-analyzing, it was all part of the process.

"Yes. I owned a grocer shop in Lior at the time, and she found me there. She quickly told me her plans to get the Elric brothers back." Patrick glanced toward the door. "And I guess she succeeded."

"You say she told you of her plans on an earlier basis?" Roy furrowed his brow, concentrating on the story, piecing it together in his mind. "She told you before she actually carried out her plans?"

"Yes. I quickly told Armstrong that there was some trouble out in one of the towns further east. I asked him if he would check on it. I also tried to get as many people out as I could, without telling them the reason."

"And why didn't you inform Armstrong of this threat immediately?" Mustang growled at Patrick.

"It would have caused a stir. People would have panicked, or they would not have believed me. If Emma got wind of what I was trying to do, she would have killed me. Then no one would have been spared." Patrick reasoned. Mustang nodded, understanding.

"So, I got as many people as I could out, and the rest perished." Patrick covered his hand with his face and cringed. He knew the people of Lior, knew how wonderful they were, and could be. He knew that his friends were just ingredients to open that stupid gate. He had always failed to understand what his sister had found so fascinating about the brothers.

Roy nodded. He understood this man's pain. "How did you lose your arm?" He asked.

Patrick smiled. "In the transmutation. I had watched Emma transmute some chickens, and then the transmutation started. I reached for my sister, and I got my arm taken off." He rubbed the hard metal and thought carefully. Should he tell Mustang what had happened to his sister, or wait and see if he asked. Patrick remembered rumors, stories, and the damage Homunculus could cause, and he was wondering if he should tell Mustang his worries that his sister had turned into a homunculus while she was on her trip.

"Patrick, do you know what happened to your sister?" Mustang prodded. Patrick continued his resolve to tell Roy his hypothesis.

"I think my sister turned into a homunculus." Patrick said slowly, with meaning behind his words. Roy's eyes widened in shock.

"Are you sure?" He said leaning in. This piece of information changed everything.

"It's a hypothesis, but I'm sure." He paused to look Roy straight in the eye. "The signs are all there. She looks like my little sister, but she could not be. My sister's soul, it was always visible," Patrick, pointed to his eyes. "Through her eyes. When she came back, it wasn't there." He paused to let Roy take in this information. "Also, it's a completely different person. My sister was kind, understanding, and a little timid. This new girl is nothing like my sister, and is opposite in every way." Patrick paused again, as if he was thinking. "But my sister did love the stories of the Full Metal Alchemist, hero of the people. After hearing about him for the first time, she studied alchemy. Then she heard that the alchemist she adored had died," He looked at Mustang pointedly, but Mustang just raised his eyebrows in an 'Oh, really?' manner. "She studied ways to bring him back. She was in central, attempting to become a state alchemist, when she saw the catastrophe. That is when she saw both the Elric brothers go through the gate. That is when she started impersonating state officials to get into the library for research. You had become Fuhrer, and she did not want anybody disrupting her infiltration of the military.

"She quickly found the information in the records." Patrick continued, with Mustang listening raptly. "And she started making plans to open the gate. She knew that if the gate would be opened on both sides, it would only take two people. For some reason, she thought a dozen chickens were equal to that on one side." Patrick stopped to think about how absurd his sister was. "I tried to stop her, but she continued, and Lior took the punishment." He leaned back in his chair, motioning to Roy that he was done.

"And you think that sometime during the 6 years she was gone, she turned herself into a homunculus?" Patrick nodded.

"I'm sure of it, almost." Patrick chose his statement carefully. "She wears so much clothes, I haven't had a chance to look for the Oroboras tattoo."

Mustang stood up from the chair, with Patrick following him with his eyes. "Thank you for the information. I will consult the other alchemist's, and we will get to the bottom of this." He looked at Patrick and smiled. "If we catch your sister, then we catch the culprit. You would be free to go, Mr. Patrick." Roy sighed and closed his tired eyes. "However, until then, you must be kept as a prisoner. My apologies, but we don't want you running off to your sister, do we?"

Patrick nodded. "I understand. But, if I may, I ask a favor." Roy raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"I need documents to disown my sister. If indeed she is a homunculus, then she is no sister of mine." Patrick said coldly. She was a creature, not his sister.

He need be burdened with her no more.

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Omg, I love this chapter!!! REVALATION!!!!!!!! I totally enjoyed getting this out there, because there are people who are reading and loving.

However, I have a favor. I wrote over 3,000 words, and that's a lot. However, I want to know if there are any male readers/writers out there. It seems like only girls and I want to know.

In addition, do not lie because you think it is funny. It is not. So, have happy reading! I will try to get chapter 11 out before the end of this week, but I am going to record a CD and I will be busy with that. In addition, I have school, but still, I will try.


	11. Memories of Happier Days

**Chapter 11 **

**Memories of Happier Days**

Emma ran through the crowd, still in her elaborate costume. People often shouted at her for pushing them so roughly, and often she was pushed back. Try as they might, they could never push her down.

Patrick had been taken into custody. She knew that, and she knew that, by now, he would've told Mustang everything he knew. They were now going to track her, as if she was some beast needing to be tamed.

'STUPID!' She thought. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid, me! Patrick was always weak, he wouldn't hesitate to get rid of me.' She was still running, thinking about where she could hide. She ran past the train station and thought. Her options were limited by far, there was no way she could just keep riding the train, though it was a tempting option.

She needed a plan. But she couldn't think with all of these stinking humans around. She could 'hear' their thoughts in her mind. All the things that ran through their minds did not matter to her, except they made her worried. Too many people were taking notice of her as she ran.

'Kids. Hooligans…'

'…Must live in a trash heap…'

'Boys always get to wear pants! Its no fair I…'

'I wonder if that robbery I heard about in the west is in the news…'

Stupid, insignificant pawns. She hated humans, including her so-called brother. She hated him with a fury; she couldn't trust anyone, not him, not the military, no one. To a regular person, this would of made that person feel isolated and they would have longed for a companion. This was not a problem for Emma, for she was not human.

She was a Homunculus.

-------------------------------------------

Edward sipped his coffee as he listened to what Mustang had to tell him. He took out the little black notebook to check things. All the signs were there, in that little book. It was her personal research, a diary, and another brain to her. It kept all things stored, meticulously, so that she could reference it. Now that Edward had it, it was now a peek into the criminal mind.

"Brother, do you think we'll be able to find her?" Alphonse asked Edward after Mustang had finished. Edward nodded and shared his plan with Mustang.

"We should split. Alphonse, Winry, and I will go to Western Headquarters and work our way to Central. You and your team," Edward said pointing to Mustang. "Start here and work your way to Central. Split two investigations teams and have one head to Central from the South and one from the North." Edward looked Mustang in the eye, and Mustang looked back, listening intently. "We will all work toward Central, cornering her if we have to. We should also issue a watch to all civilians." Edward leaned back, motioning to Mustang that he was finished.

Mustang smiled and closed his eyes. It seemed Edward had gotten a bit more rational in his age. This could work towards his advantage, except for one thing.

That nasty business called paperwork.

Mustang knew that he needed to relieve Havoc soon, or else more people were sure to notice. He had told Havoc to let the public know that their leader was in the east, and Havoc had boarded a train here to switch places. He would have Riza lead his team, and Mustang would head back to Central to await this mysterious being.

He quickly filled Edward and Alphonse in on his plan, and gave them the go ahead with their plans. He just wanted to tweak it a little bit. He ordered the brothers to separate, having Alphonse take over the North group and Edward taking over the South group. Mustang knew that General Furey was over in the Western Headquarters doing an inspection with General Fallman. He would have them lead the group from the west.

Edward agreed with Mustang's plan, but Alphonse looked worried.

After they excited the meeting room Alphonse jogged up to Edward.

"I don't want to be separated from you brother. We work as a group, and who's going to take care of Winry?" Alphonse asked, raising an eyebrow. He didn't like the idea of Edward and Winry together, alone.

It was a dangerous thought.

However, Edward had ignored these thoughts. "Winry will come with me Alphonse. According to the journal, I have determined that she will head south first. Humans are predicable creatures Alphonse, but she isn't human, so I can't say that she will still go there first. She might do the opposite and head north." Edward placed a hand on Alphonse's shoulder. "If she does head North, I want someone that I trust to head her off. Do you understand?" Alphonse nodded and Edward smiled. "Don't worry, nothing bad will happen."

However, Alphonse remembered a little too clearly how dangerous Homunculi were, and he was not happy to be facing one again.

Winry was waiting patiently in the hotel lobby, talking with Pinina. Pinina had seen Emma and was giving Winry clues as to what she looked like. Pinina was also showing the new equipment Dominic had built her, and Winry asked on the condition of Dominic's grandchild.

The two were having a pleasant conversation when the military team walked in. Winry automatically stood up, as did Pinina. Mustang executed an aura that made people do that. People couldn't help it, being in Mustang's presence was overpowering, and it made Winry nervous sometimes. But it wasn't a big deal, and Winry went over to Ed and Alphonse to ask them what the next move was.

"We're going to assemble four teams to work from the East, West, North, and South. Alphonse has the North team and I have the South team." Winry looked confused. The brothers never separated. Had something happened?

"Well… do I stay here then?" Winry pointed to herself and asked. Edward and Alphonse laughed.

"No Winry! You'll go with Ed." Alphonse said after the short laugh. Winry nodded, understanding where she stood.

Mustang was on the phone. Havoc had missed the train and he wouldn't be in Rush Valley till tomorrow. Mustang stole a look at the train schedule.

"Havoc! Stay there! There's a train that goes to Langstrum from Rush Valley. We'll catch that and meet you there." But there wasn't a moment to lose. That train left in 10 minutes. Mustang slammed the phone on the hook and shouted out the problem to the rest of the group. Everyone quickly got his or her things.

Edward, Winry, and Alphonse all ran to the hotel room they had taken refuge in. Ed slammed the door open, searching for his bag.

"Edward, over here! I already packed them!" Winry shouted, stressed by the situation.

"Thanks Winry!" Edward shouted as he ran out of the room, Alphonse at his heels with Winry behind.

"Hey! Wait up! I got to lock the door!" Winry shouted.

Mustang, who was down the hall, running past her heard her. "Just drop it at the front desk and tell them what room number. HURRY UP!" Riza followed Mustang quickly with Winry following them.

Winry couldn't run as fast as the rest of the groups because she had her auto mail equipment bag as well as her other things. Edward, realizing she was lagging behind, turned around, pushing past Mustang and Riza, to grab her auto mail case. He slung it over his shoulder and continued to run.

The group kept running all the way to the train station. They jumped through the gates and jumped on the last car as it was pulling away. Winry and Edward were not on the train yet though.

Desperately, Edward grabbed Winry's other bag and threw all three at Mustang, Riza, and Alphonse. Alphonse had to catch one that almost fell on the tracks, leaning over the rail.

Edward knew he could catch it if he ran faster, but he knew Winry couldn't run that fast. And the last cart was almost at the end of the platform. Desperate times called for desperate measures he told himself.

He picked up Winry all the sudden, and, with a sudden burst of energy, made it to the last cart. He jumped on, with Winry slung over his shoulder, gasping in the doorway. Ed collapsed in the entryway after making sure Winry was on. The conductor came to the back to see what the fuss was, until Mustang showed him his badge.

"F-F-Fuhrer Mustang?!?!?!" The conductor gasped. The fuhrer was riding his train? He almost fainted on the spot, if not for that money Mustang was waving in his face to buy last minute tickets. The conductor quickly took the money and told Mustang that a VIP car was waiting in the front for him.

"How convenient." Mustang said. Being Fuhrer did have its perks.

-----------------------------------------

"Here's your food." The officer told Patrick. Patrick was sitting in a clean, warm cell. Mustang told him that he was still a prisoner until his sister was found. Patrick didn't mind, the cell was simple, but it was fine. He had 3 filling meals, a nice bed, and a separate bathroom. It was more than other prisoners usually got. Patrick had mentally prepared himself for something worse, but he was pleasantly surprised. It was nice having the military on his side. Then Patrick saw a very official looking man come down the hall.

He had been expecting him; he was to give Patrick his disowner ship papers. So Patrick could be free, he had to do this. He knew that it looked cruel, but his sister was not the sister he remembered. He had lots of memories of Emma, beautiful ones. He remembered the last summer he had spent with the real Emma, the one where she had told him of her plans to study alchemy.

-----

"I want to be just like the Full Metal Alchemist Patrick. He was a courageous person, fighting for the people. I want to be like that, a person of the people, not of the military." Emma was picking flowers in a field. It was a large field, and all the flowers were in bloom, painting the field yellow, white, red, and pink. Patrick was sitting a couple feet away from her, reading. He was planning to move to Lior to open a business, and his sister was going to pursue alchemy. He had tried to convince her to come with him, but she refused.

_"Emma, there isn't much of a military right now." Patrick sighed, pushing his glasses further up his nose, for they had slid down. The sunlight reflected against the lenses as he did so. _

_After the Fuhrer had been overthrown, the military was in turmoil. It was gaining control again, as smart, intelligent people worked to rebuild cities and gain a quieter control over the people. He remembered meeting a great man by the name of Louis Armstrong, who had made it his job to protect and rebuild Lior. He was an alchemist, and Patrick deeply respected him. _

_"That is why I want to help." She picked a flower and delicately smelled it. Then she turned her doe eyes to her brother. They were wide and blue, so innocent and sweet. "I want to make the lives of the common person easier. And besides" She said, adding a smile to her face. "There aren't any women state alchemists that I know of. Maybe I can be the first one!" She stood, the wind gently blowing her hair and Patrick sighed. He knew it was impossible to convince his little sister to stay with him. She was an adult, and he had no power over her, nor did he want any. _

_"Do as you wish Emma. You know where I'll be." He said. She had already discussed his plans for a shop in Lior, and she said he was crazy. However, he reminded her that he thought she was crazy for trying to become an alchemist. _

_He was going to start a shop in Lior to try to build up the little town again. He knew it wasn't financially smart, but it made him happy to do it. And he believed that he would do whatever he could to help people in need. _

_"I'm going to try to find a suitable teacher, or a mentor. But the Full Metal Alchemist's teacher is pretty much dead, and her teacher is dead. I need to find a good teacher, Patrick, or all is lost. It's pointless unless I find apprenticeship. Maybe I could ask a state Alchemist to help me?" She looked at Patrick, asking with her eyes his opinion. He shook his head. _

_"They are all too busy." She sighed. _

_"Of course."_

---------

As Patrick smiled at this memory, he frowned at another one.

---------

_The storm blew over the town, making his shop lights flicker. He had owned this shop for 5 ½ years, and he was quite attached to it. The wind howled and he cringed again. _

_All the sudden, the door burst open, crashing some pots to the floor. A short figure in a torn cloak was standing in the doorway. Patrick stepped back in fear and self-preservation. He couldn't see the person's face, and the lightning flashed menacingly behind them. Then the figure pulled up their hood to reveal a tiny girl. _

_"Emma?" He asked. The figure looked shocked for a moment, as if that was not her name, then they nodded. Joy swept through Patrick as he ran over to usher her inside. He sat her by the fire, locking the door once again, blocking the wind. He gave her a hot cup of hot chocolate, her favorite, but she held up a hand to refuse. He thought it was strange, but his mind dismissed it. "Where have you been Emma? Why were you out in that storm?" He asked, his voice full of worry. He was supposed to take care of this little sister, not let her be mangled by a storm. _

_"I needed to come here." She said plainly. Patrick then noticed her eyes. They were not the huge, doe-like, eyes he remembered in photos and memories. They were red, with pupils that were in slits. They reminded him of a snake. _

_"Emma, what happened to you?" He prodded gently. He was worried she would spook and make a run for it. He couldn't let that happen. _

_"I'm an alchemist. I studied under 2 different teachers, both dying, ending my apprenticeships. I came here to make the gate open. That is where the Full Metal Alchemist is. He is on the other side of the gate, and I must open it." She clutched her cloak tighter. "At any cost. I know what the cost is, and I will gladly use it. I need only the Full Metal to do my bidding. No one else will do." _

_Patrick cringed at the iciness of her voice. This was not his sweet caring Emma, this was an imposter. However, no one could replicate her movements, the way her mouth moved with her words, the pertness of her nose. He knew it was Emma, but yet it was not. The aura coming off of her was very strange indeed. _

_"What is the cost Emma?" He prodded again. He mustn't let her do anything reckless or harmful. _

_"The cost is this city. I'm going to see if I can use chickens, they are lives too, are they not? I will use the equivalent of these cities 2 lives I need in chickens. I think that 12 should do. Six roosters and six hens, to signify two complete beings. It should be enough." Patrick didn't know much about alchemy, and if he did he would have realized that her idea was wrong. Human lives were of immeasurable power, and a dozen chickens would not suffice for the lives of two humans. And to open the gate totally, where two worlds would funny connect, would require an even bigger mass of people. _

_But he was not an alchemist, so he did not know the risk. _

_------------------------------------- _

Ed and Al shook hands as they prepared to depart, one to the north, one to the south. Mustang had ordered a civilian watch, and now Edward and Winry were going to the south end of Ametris. Ed gave his brother a confident look, which made Alphonse's worried one easy up. Alphonse was not happy about being separated from Ed, but Ed had told him not to worry. Alphonse nodded, and Ed and Winry got on their train.

Winry's thoughts were elsewhere as the two said farewell. She would miss Alphonse, but she was more attached to Ed. She had built parts of him, and that had made their bond close over the years. She couldn't imagine her life without him. However, that was still not where her thoughts were. Her thoughts dwelled on the contact Ed and her had shared.

When he had picked her up, her heart had started beating faster in a way she did not recognize. Her skin had burned when he touched her, and she relished the feeling of being in such close contact with him. Even though she had been practically thrown onto the train, her soul had rejoiced in a way that was not familiar to her. What was this feeling she could not understand. Then a thought floated to the top.

Was she in love with the Full Metal Alchemist?

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You know, I had planned to make this longer, but the feeling of the end of this chapter felt so right. Teehee, I love it. If you find the chapters too short though, send me a message, via my profile page. I love to hear from my readers. Thanks for reading, I appreciate it! And thank you BlackXSun for finally starting to read this fanfic, I owe you one!


	12. Train Ride

**Chapter 12 **

**Train Ride**

Emma looked up from the grotto she was staying at. Blood covered her face, and dirt stuck to her skin. She was wearing rags, and her body look ravaged. People looked into the alleyway and tittered, what a shame. She would have been so pretty.

Emma smiled wickedly, with her ravaged eyes scaring off potential helpers. They would all die soon, while her life would go on. She had found her lovely red stones that had given her shape and immortality. When she had stumbled upon Dante and Hoemhiem's method of staying immortal, she had almost taken that route. However, when she had discovered the rotting should part of it, she cringed and became a homunculus. Transmuting herself to bring herself back, a painful process, but worth it. She weaved through the gates, until she came to rest in a grotto. Funny, it was much like this.

Life had its ironies, did it not? She had kept her memories as a human, but she knew that her "brother" had noticed the change between her mortal other self, and the new soulless creature that she had created out of her greed for the Full Metal Alchemist.

In addition, for that reason, it was her name.

Greed.

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Glancing over him again, Winry leaned against the seat. 'Relax, we're just on a train to face an immortal creature that is evil, and the man you may or may not love is in front of you. Everyday thing going on here, nothing new.' Yet Winry could not help but try to stifle her heart. It pounded in her chest, while Edward slumbered peacefully.

'Well, that's dumb, he can sleep without bother, but here I am worrying about stupid things.' She tried again, unsuccessfully, to relax and look out the window. However, she was antsy, and her body wanted to move. Move closer to that person sitting across from her.

A door, like a private room, closed off the train car the two were in as Edward was a state alchemist and a VIP on trains. Usually he never enforced his VIP status, but this time he had walked to the front, no questions asked. It seemed to Winry that he just wanted to sleep.

However, when she had fidgeted yet again, her foot smacked against Ed is, startling him awake.

"Hm, where's that wrench Alfons?" Edward looked dazed, blinking his eyes a couple of times, and he noticed Winry trying to make herself one with the seat. She was doing this by means of looking terribly frightened and backing all the way she could into the seat. "What's wrong Winry?" Ed asked innocently. He had been dreaming of Alfons Heiderich again. It seemed like he had been thinking of him a lot. Alphonse had noticed that Edward visited the grave of this unknown parallel man quite often before they had set out on their journey.

Winry relaxed a little, trying to look natural. "Uh, um, nothing Edward. Sorry I woke you up, you probably needed the sleep." She said, adding a little bit of sadness to her voice. Edward cocked an eyebrow.

"Nah, I needed to get up anyway." He said, stretching his arms above his head. Then he looked out the window. It was foggy and dreary, and he realized that Winry had no one to talk to this entire time. She was probably lonely, or bored. He felt bad. "Sorry I fell asleep on you Winry. You didn't need to stay here." He insisted with his words.

Winry nodded, but barely acknowledged his words. She was strained, but he dismissed that due to boredom.

"Winry?" Winry looked up from her feet into the gold eyes that were filled with concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I told you that Ed. You really do not pay attention, do you? Heeheee, Haha." Winry said nervously laughing. Ed looked at her questioningly, but dismissed it when the door slid open.

"A call for you Mr. Edward Elric, sir." Ed nodded and stood. Winry could not help it; she started staring at the body her eyes had been starved of for 6 years. The sleek muscles had never lost their tone, she could tell even under his clothes. His gloves concealed that wonderful piece of work she had slaved over for 3 days, trying to appease Mustang, Edward, Alphonse, and Riza. They were all in a hurry, and she knew that Riza and Mustang thought she would be just a nuisance on the trip. She was glad she could be of some good use.

She heard the calm footstep of his auto mail leg and sighed wistfully. Ed stopped for a second, as if he was going to find out exactly what that sigh was about, but the officers urgent look made him walk forward and out of the room.

"Alone again." Winry sighed. Then the door slid open again, but it was not Edward who walked through the door.

It was a little girl.

"Why, hello!" Winry greeted her. The girl squeaked and backed out of the door. Winry panicked, "No, wait! Where are your parents?" She said, walking over to the little girl and crouching down next to her. The little girl shook her head, still staring at Winry with big eyes.

"They're in a room like this. Doors are the same, but I opened the wrong one." The little girl said, starting to cry. Winry picked her up and held her close to keep her from crying.

"Don't worry, we'll find them, okay?" Winry said leaning the little girl back on her arms to look at her in the eyes. The little girl nodded and told her that her daddy was 'big and blond.' In addition, her mommy was 'strong and beautiful.' Winry smiled and started opening compartment doors.

She opened the one that was diagonally across from her own to find a blond man and women in deep discussion. The two looked up to see who is was, and seeing the little girl, smiles broke onto their faces.

"Alexandra!" They cried in pure joy.

The little girls face screwed up and she started to cry. "Mommy! Daddy!" She cried, holding her arms out to them. Winry slid the little child neatly into the parents' arms with a smile.

The woman smiled kindly at Winry. "How can I thank you? She must have wandered into the wrong compartment again." The woman stopped to rub noses with the little girl, making the little girl giggle.

"Oh, I wasn't doing anything but waiting. It was no trouble." The woman smiled again at Winry as Winry stepped out of the compartment.

'She reminds me of Elicia. Elicia was so tiny and cute, they are so alike.' Winry walked back to her own compartment and opened the door. Edward was sitting in the room, and he looked up. Seeing it was Winry, his eyes slid back to some papers he had in his hands.

Winry sat across from him again. She wished that Edward would acknowledge her more, but she knew that was a stretch.

Edward glanced up. Winry was looking away so she did not see. He knew something was wrong with her, but he did not know what. She could be so strange. However, he knew that there was a problem that he had to confront with Alphonse. It concerned the prospect of Winry's future with someone. Edward knew that she could not just waste away by herself and that one day another person was going to take her. He was not sure if Alphonse loved Winry, or if Winry loved Alphonse and that bothered Ed.

Ed's eyes raked over Winry's body, his mind finally registering the changes. She had lost all claims to girlishness, as her arms with ripped with muscles. Her chest was hidden under a black jacket, but Ed could still see how definitive they were. His eyes roamed down to her legs, muscular and smooth. He also noticed her skirts had gotten longer and she did not see a need to display her fine assets so up front. However, this was a disadvantage to Edward in this situation. Then Winry sighed and Edward's attention was brought back up to her face.

She looked so sad; Ed wondered what she was saddened about. She looked so forlorn and lonely; he wished that he could help. His face was still concentrated on her, when he saw her eyelids had fluttered shut, and she had fallen asleep. He smiled and leaned back into the seat. He contemplated her, noting on how funny she looked when she slept. She was just too cute.

However, they way her head was leaning against the window looked quite uncomfortable. He frowned, imagining what a pain that would be when she woke up. Then, as if a light bulb had gone off in his head, he realized that sometimes the simplest of acts could help someone. His mind went to the onetime Winry had braided his hair, when he and Al were going on the run. She had braided the pitch black mass, because she felt like that was the only thing she could do. He realized this and stood up.

He gently moved Winry's head from the window, again looking to the fog outside. He then gently pushed her hips sideways, until her torso had enough room to lie down. Still holding her head, Edward grabbed a pillow from the compartment above, planning to simply put it under her head. All the sudden her hand shot out and grabbed his collar with a vice-like grip.

And she uttered one word, so clear it sounded like she had woken. "Edward." Ed did not dare try to pry her steel fingers from his collar, instead he gave in. Grabbing a blanket from the compartment, he laid it over Winry. Then he sat down, setting the pillow in his lap. Winry's head fell into the softness of the pillow and she sighed. Edward sighed too; she was too innocent in her sleep.

Edward watched the dreary landscape and felt his eyes starting to droop. Soon, his head was leaning against the back of the seat, for he had fallen into a quiet slumber as well.

The landscape rushed by, as voices shouted and whispered outside his door. It did not really matter; it had nothing to do with him in reality. All he could do was sleep, and dream of green fields, a big yellow house, and an old woman who was a genius with stew.

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"Alphonse, it isn't a very good habit to chew on your fingernails." Sheska said. She had seen Alphonse at the station previous, and she insisted that she would help Alphonse and the military. She had heard what happened to Lior, and she felt awful. She hoped that she could be of some use.

Alphonse smiled at her. "I know, I'm just worried about Brother and Winry." He thought of the south headquarters and realized that was near dublith. Teacher's house.

"Yeah, but you and I are heading north. Sorry to say, but I'm more worried about us." Sheska gave a look that implied that she was not worried about bandits and heathens, but more about aliens.

Alphonse recognized that look and almost laughed. Sheska was so smart, but sometimes she came to the wrong conclusion too quickly. Like now, she had been talking earlier about "flashing lights" that had been seen in the north. Alphonse just thought that everyone was crazy, including Sheska. However, he was not about to tell _her _that.

"Well, I'm still worried. Brother never really does think things through." Alphonse stared out the window into the sunny fields. All the sudden the train skidded to a stop and Sheska toppled forward from her seat. Alphonse caught her and smiled with her. Then the compartment door slid open and two military soldiers saluted to a man who came in looking around the compartment, spied Sheska and barked ridiculous orders.

"Arrest her!" He said, pointing to Sheska has scared figure. Her eyes replied to the comment by getting bigger and her glasses fell off her face as she pushed herself into the seat. Alphonse stood up.

"Why? She's with me!" He said, pointing to himself. He did not understand what the soldiers wanted with Sheska, but he was sure it was not good.

"She's under arrest because we are searching for a woman convict that destroyed Lior." The man said grabbing Sheska's arm as she protested.

"NO! We're part of the team that's LOOKING for that convict." Alphonse was not a very strong person, he was not used to barking an order at people like Edward was and he slid over his words. "I'm your commanding officer, the Soul Alchemist, Alphonse Elric." However, his words shook, weak authority found within them, and the officer looked at Alphonse skeptically.

"Never heard of you." The man said, nodding to the other two men to take Sheska. Alphonse then remembered his silver pocket watch. He quickly took it out, dangling it in front of the officer. The officers' eyes became huge as realization came upon him. He quickly flapped his hand at the other two, motioning for them to release Sheska. Sheska looked at them, sighed in relief and fainted, sinking towards the ground. Alphonse caught her and sat her on the seat. She sighed at fell over. Alphonse looked to the ceiling in despair.

Then he turned to the officer again. "I'm your commander. Let us get north and start there, and then we'll hunt down our girl." Alphonse felt the authority slip into voice, making it stronger. He felt powerful. He stood a little straighter after the officers left. He knew he would adjust to this lifestyle, but it would take time, just like with Edward.

Sheska sighed again from the seat and Alphonse rolled his eyes. She could be such a nuisance. Alphonse felt the train stir under his feet and he sat back down. He started looking around the cabin, and he saw his suitcase, with a tinge of red. Alphonse quirked his eyebrow.

"Edward's the one with a red cloak. Why do I have it?" Alphonse clearly remembered Edward wearing it before, so he did not know why he had one. He pulled the cloak out of the bag and admired it. Then a piece of paper fluttered down from the cloaks folds. He picked it up.

It was a letter, obviously written recently, from Edward.

_Alphonse, _

_I see you have found your cloak. It has the emblem of __our __teacher__ and of her teachers in the past. Even though I know that teacher's teacher was of evil purpose, for some reason I hang onto this. I found my old cloak in Risembool in our room. __You used this cloak__ before. Good luck with finding our culprit! _

_Edward. _

Alphonse looked at the back of the cloak, seeing the emblem. He started to cry as he remembered hearing of his teacher's death from Winry over the phone. He missed her so much, and he wished he could be as great as her and Edward.

Sheska heard an odd noise. It sounded like someone was crying, and she opened her eyes halfway. She saw Alphonse crying over a cloak, recognizing the cloak to be of Ed's. She did not know why Alphonse was crying, but she ignored it and fell back into her peaceful slumber. It was none of her business.

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Mustang had his hands folded and his chin rested upon them. The big office seemed quite empty without his band of miscreants hanging around all the time. Funny, somehow he missed the company.

He noticed Riza filing papers again. Mustang did not have much to do, seeing as Havoc had did a lot of the work for him. He smiled, he was glad Havoc was so willing to be him all the time. He laughed and Riza looked up.

"Oh, sorry Riza." He said leaning back into his chair. Riza walked over to his desk and slammed her hands on the wood surface, toppling Mustang out of his chair. He rubbed his bruised head, "What was that for?"

"Are you not paying any attention at all, sir?" She was almost yelling at him. Then, with a look of shock from Mustang, she straightened, saluted and apologized. As she started to head back to her desk she heard, Mustang get back in his chair.

"I know exactly what is going on Riza. Don't doubt that." Riza did not like the serious tone Mustang had taken on. She heard him lean back in his chair, and she turned. She saw Mustang stare into her back and saw him beckon her silently.

She still did not know why she had confronted him in the first place. She felt like her world was slightly surreal, like it was not happening in real life. When she approached his desk, Mustang's face had taken on a very dark look, and she was slightly frightened.

Then he stood, startling her yet again and she took a step back, but Mustang grabbed her collar and kissed her furiously. Moreover, the worst part was that she was… enjoying it. She enjoyed the possessive way his lips massaged hers lovingly, yet roughly. He practically dragged her over the desk as he straddled her…

"mhhmmmmm… oh stop. You are so bad. Your soooooo bad." Riza mumbled from her desk. Mustang had heard her mumbling from her desk, and he had wondered what was wrong. Now he realized that she was just having a dream.

In addition, it seemed to him like it was a very enjoyable dream. All he could hope for was that the dream involved him. He grabbed his coat and set it over her shoulders. She grabbed the edges and slept on the desk, and Mustang returned to his paperwork.

He ran his eyes over train schedules until he found Full Metal's train number. He dialed into the train and asked for Ed, asking how far until he reached Dublith and organized his team. Ed quickly relayed back to him his coordinates.

"I take it that you have already assembled my team Mustang?" Ed asked, the line making his voice scratchy and fuzzy.

"Yes, I've alerted a troupe to organize them. Some of your party have headed farther east, to make sure we create a border around the border. We're sure she hasn't left the country?" Mustang prodded Ed.

"No, she's looking for me, and I'm still in the country, so I think she's still here." Edward answered.

"Full of ourselves, are we?" Mustang answered cockily.

The reply was a scoff. "You sound tired. Do you want me to check in on the others for you?"

"Awfully kind. I would appreciate it Full Metal. I'll stay here until 12:30; call if there are any problems."

"Sure. I'll make sure to call if we're in dire terror and we need the government."

Mustang chuckled as the line went dead, and then went back to his paperwork, slightly dozing off after 11. When he heard some stirring from the other side of the room, he woke up slightly.

Riza's mind was fuzzy. She smelled Mustang because he was all over her. His overpowering scent was all over, she could smell it on herself. That wonderful scent she had grown accustomed to was all over her.

Then she realized that the dream she was having, was in fact, a dream. She opened her eyes to the unusually empty office and Mustang hanging up the phone in the corner. She looked at the small clock that was on her desk. 12:32. it was AM because it was dark outside the windows. She sat up; realizing the smell she had been so wonderfully enjoying was Roy's jacket, carefully draped over her shoulders.

Then she remembered a key detail why she did not fall asleep in the office, or where anybody could see and hear her. Whenever she had dirty dreams, she always talked. Moaned, groaned, muttered sometimes-comprehensive things. However, whoever was listening to her would get a good idea about what her dreams involved. She looked over at Mustang who saw she was awake, and hid a sly smile.

"Did you sleep well, General Hawkeye?" He said. His smile made her face a rock as she stood.

"I'm sorry for falling asleep, sir." She said saluting. "I did not mean to doze off, please forgive me." Mustang chuckled again.

"At ease General." He said, setting some papers down on his desk.

Riza's hand quickly removed itself from her forehead and down to her side. She was standing straight up, but Mustang noticed her slight sway. She was exhausted. Mustang walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Get some rest General. You'll need it when the hunt begins." He said. Hawkeye saluted again and headed to go home.

Before she left, she turned back to Mustang. "Are you sure you'll be alright here sir? Shouldn't you head home?" She had donned her light jacket and hat and had her hand on the door while she awaited his reply.

"I suppose." He said, grabbing his jacket and hat. Riza waited at the door for him and opened it when he arrived at the door. "Thanks." He said, shooting her a grateful look. She saw the dark circles under his eyes and cringed. They had stayed there until everyone had arrived at the designated train stations. She assumed they had already checked in.

"Did they all check in with you?" She asked. If not, they had to wait. Her body protested at that idea.

Mustang shook his head. "Full Metal said that he would do it. There haven't been any calls, so…" Just as they almost turned their backs, the phone rang. Riza and Roy turned simultaneously to look dangerously at the phone. Mustang wondered if he should just blow it up.

However, Riza beat him to the phone, answering it quickly. "Fuhrer's office."

"Riza, this is Furey." Riza slid her eyes to the phone, wondering what was wrong. "A troupe of ours didn't report, and we've been waiting all night. The Full Metal Alchemist said to call you guys only if something went wrong." Then there was a pause, a sigh, and Fallman picked up the phone. "Never mind Riza. WE just received a call from Havoc, confirming the troupe's whereabouts. They were about to head north, the fools." Riza sighed, telling Fallman they should keep better eyes on their soldiers. Roy waited while Riza said goodbye and walked again to the door.

"Minor mix-up." She replied to his gaze. Mustang scoffed.

"This plan needs to work without any kinks, General." He grabbed her shoulder, his weary eyes scaring her. "No slip-ups next time." Riza merely nodded.

"No slipups."

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Emma groaned. The smell of herself was killing her. Then she noticed some military men run by, unaware that their target was in the alleyway.

"I'll wait for you Full Metal. I'll wait." She said, standing. Her plan had taken flight once again.

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Oooo, I really love this chapter. So good!!! Thanks all of you, and keep reading. I really like what I am writing, and I hope you do too.

So, I am going to ask again, are there any male writers out there? If there are, let me know, it seems like there are only girls.


	13. The Plan that Went Wrong

**Chapter 13 **

**The Plan that Went Wrong **

Edward was surprisingly good at checking into hotels. He handed the money to the clerk with a bored look, while her body language screamed "Take me, I'm yours!" Winry glared at her, while Ed took his key and walked away. Winry spared the girl one last death glare, until she walked away trailing after Edward's surprisingly quick walk.

Then a sign caught Winry's eye. A simple sign displaying a couple doing an obvious waltz or Tango advertising a waltz and dinner the following night. The sign reminded her that she wanted to learn how to dance when she was a child. It was a silly dream that only had caught up with her now. She looked at Edward's back and wondered if he knew how to dance.

Edward was assembling his men with ease. He had often commanded people during his days in the relentless war that was trying his brain constantly, even after it had long ended. Damn. He hated it. He felt Winry stand behind him and he looked at her telling her he was almost finished. Then he dismissed his men and turned to her.

"Let's bring the bags up to the room and then get some food, I'm STARVING!" He said with a loopy grin slapped on his face. Winry was reminded of her pie and she giggled. Edward looked at her with a snap and she straightened up and followed him to the room.

She would defiantly bring up the dancing later.

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Gunfire could be heard from down the hall as the steady shots kept coming out. Mustang listened carefully for the cartridge to empty before he made his entrance. Sneaking up on his General was not a good idea at all.

The cartridge emptied and Mustang strode into the practice area. The smell of gun powder reached his nose and he smiled. She was practicing with long-range guns; why else would the distinct smell of powder reach his nose? He tapped her on the shoulder and waved, indicating he wanted her attention. She carefully set down the rifle and took off her earmuffs.

"I have reports from all four locations." He smiled wickedly. "Time to catch a killer."

"You mean a mass murderer." She said plainly, leaving Roy with a disheartened expression on his face.

"Um, yeah." He said as he trotted up next to her. He noticed the slight dark circles under her eyes. "Something keeping you up at night General?" He questioned with authority.

She blinked and looked down. "Nothing."

Actually, it was something. She had been having weird dreams lately. The kind of dreams that had her tossing and turning in pleasure and moaning every night. Dirty dreams. Moreover, they all involved a certain ruler with an overwhelmingly sexy voice. She knew her problem.

She needed to get laid.

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Patrick signed the papers with ease and dismissed the officer. He then relaxed in his bunk and started to draw. He could not help it. The officer had left some paper and a pencil because Patrick had asked him too. The paper would be taken and so would the pencil after a while, and all Patrick wanted to do was draw. He was actually quite a good artist, and he had doodled often as a child, drawing buildings with people inside. He had wanted to become a carpenter before he had decided to open up a grocer in Lior. He had seen a need for one, and he obliged to a calling.

Nevertheless, he had never lost his love for drawing. This time he drew Central with its many busy people milling about its front headquarters. It was almost as if he could see them, could see their facial expressions, their clothes, their hairstyles.

A gift, perhaps.

Perhaps.

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Alphonse stared at the scruffy bunch of soldiers that stared at him. They looked greatly displeased at the fact that the person that was in charge was an upstart young kid. A kid. In addition, Alphonse, with his boyish looks, was just making matters worse by trying to call headquarters (meaning mustang) unsuccessfully. How was he going to make this band of scruffiness respect him.

He had never been a leader in the war. He was never asked to be a leader. Unless you counted wandering around in the desert searching for a brother that was not even in the same dimension. He had grown mentally and physically since then and he recognized that he needed to take the lead. However, it had proved harder than he thought.

Alphonse straightened and looked the men in the eyes again. He motioned for them to follow him into his temporary office (he was a state alchemist after all, being granted special permission by the Fuhrer himself meant he was quite good) and showed them where they would head. The men nodded, unimpressed by his broadness.

Alphonse opened his mouth again to talk, but was interrupted by one of the leaders of this small group. Northerners were such a pain.

"Look kid, I don't know what makes you think that we're going to hunt down some strange person. We have already served a war, and they top people call us when they have younger men to do the work. As for me, I am not going to take orders from some snot-nosed kid. I'm retired, and I'm staying that way." With that, the man walked away, with the whole group in tow. They did not feel like fighting anymore, and Alphonse understood.

Now he had no soldiers. Damn.

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She opened her eyes again, searching the crowd from her ghetto. She heard the rumble of a car, and military feet and she smiled wickedly. The some men stopped in her alleyway.

"What's that?" The young solider said, pointing to the seemingly lifeless form lying in the alley.

"Don't know. Probably some dead beggar."

Empathy rose in the younger man as he made his way over to the lifeless form. He tipped her chin up and saw she was not dead. He smiled. He helped her to her feet and took a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe some of the dirt of her face.

As he wiped away some of the dirt, he recognized her. He did not know from where though. Then the wanted posters flashed through his mind of a girl with the exact likeness. His hand paused.

And she struck. Being a homunculus after all made her incredibly strong. She had a rock shard screaming painfully into her palm, and she was ready to kill this solider. Slice and blood spurted from his neck in a glorious rain. His partner looked on in shock, the he whipped out his gun.

Soon, he was lying dead in the alley, and she had donned his uniform. Her hair was so short, and her chest was flat. Wonderful, passing off as a man would be easy. However, her worries about infiltrating the military were different. It will be a very interesting fight indeed.

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Edward awoke in the middle of the night to a solider coming into his room. He was the youngest, but was recommended because of his wit and talent. He shook Edward awake whispering about a phone call. Edward sat up rubbing his hand over his face.

He was wearing white shorts and a white tank top. HE quickly pulled his long hair into a ponytail and yawned. He pulled on his black pants and strode out of the room. Winry's room joined his through a door, and before he left he knocked on it.

"Winry? Are you awake?"

Winry had been awake all night. She was still awake when she heard the soft knock on the door and Edward's sleepy voice calling her. She gasped. This was a dream right? Why would Edward wake her up in the middle of the night, when no one was around…? Winry's thoughts took a dark turn as her face turned hot. She fumbled with the door handle to see Edwards face on the other side.

"I have to go take a call. I just thought I should tell you in case you woke up and found me gone." Winry looked at his clothes and nodded, understanding. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why did I let myself get carried away so quickly?'

Edward strode after the officer, obviously angry he had been woken up. His crabbiness was ebbing onto the messenger, and that made the young officer nervous.

When they reached the lobby and the phone, Edward picked up the ringer right away, angrily. "It's the middle of the night Mustang, what do you want?"

"There's been a killing. I think it is our perpetrator. And, whoever she is, she's now dressed as part of the military." Mustang's low voice strangled through the phone lines unreliable service.

"WHAT?!?!" Edward shouted. Mustang quickly relayed to him the earlier events of her killings, and that they now knew it was a woman. Most defiantly, Patrick's sister, if anything. After hanging up the phone, Edward quickly gathered his team to go out and search the city for her. She had bought a train ticket, which is all they knew. The train supposedly went north, towards Alphonse's location. However, Alphonse did not have a team, and they were trying to get officers up there.

Earlier that day Alphonse had called Edward to complain of his team leaving him, and that he did not want some old retired people, he wanted officers. The officers Mustang had ordered him (after chewing out the person who was in charge of military personal up there) were going north, but they had to take a longer route and would not be up there in time.

Alphonse was going to confront the homunculus on his own. That alone scared Edward. However, he had to trust his brother, and wait in the wings. For right now, he would stay in the dark.

-------

Alphonse woke to the sound of people scurrying about. He had not realized he had dozed off on the couch, trying to keep watch. He knew that Emma was coming north, and he was trying to alert troops. He had sat down for 5 seconds, and he had dozed off. Standing up, he noticed his body screamed at him to sit down. Alphonse fought it, heading for the door that leads to the hallway.

A solider walked up to him and saluted.

"Emma's estimated time of arrival is coming sir. What are your orders?"

"Lock-down the train-station. She will not escape." The solider nodded, and Alphonse followed him out to a car waiting. The car was going to take them to the train station so Alphonse could take charge of the situation. After all, this was the work for alchemists, right.

----------------

Emma smirked to herself. Her plan was going perfectly. No one would suspect a thing had changed.

When she got off the train, she stepped off the platform lightly. She was wearing a demure dress that she had stolen out of the baggage cart. She noticed military soldiers waiting in line for the train, but she knew they would be too late to greet an enemy that did not exist.

For she was in the southern headquarters of Ametris.

"Full Metal, I'm coming for you." Her gun rested lightly on her ankle, only to be used if all else failed. For he would bow down to her, and create what she craved most.

The philosopher's stone.

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Sorry, this took so long to get out. I feel kinda bad, because I do not think it came together all the way that I wanted it too. You see, I quit writing for about a month because I felt like no one was even reading it, so why bother. Then I got a story alert to it, and it started me up again. However, life gets in the way sometimes and I finally found some time to do it. Hooray! In addition, I am wishing a happy birthday to my favorite author, Singing Waters, because it is on Sunday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! (I doubt she will get to read this far though! Heehee!)

Kudos! Thanks for reading, but I do have a request. If you like the story, I would appreciate it if you would let me know in some way. Anyway, I will write two chapters for every feedback I get, so right now I am lasting until chapter 15! Woot!


	14. A Crisis Closer to Home

**Chapter 14 **

**A Crisis Closer to Home **

Edward was sitting on a couch, rubbing his temples. Damn it, he had not gotten a good night's rest in a long long time. Or it felt like that anyway. He groaned into his hand as an officer gave him his clothes. He quickly stripped down and donned the clean underwear and undershirt. Then he felt the tight smooth black material go over his legs and he sighed. Clean material at last, it was heaven. The same went for his black shirt. Then he quickly retrieved his classic red coat and braided his newly washed hair. He again revered at the fact that he was clean.

Now he had to go get Winry and warn her of the danger. He knocked lightly on the wooden door and called her name. "Winry, I need to talk to you." He needed her to make sure his auto mail was functioning. He just had a feeling that he needed it… oddly. It was a foreboding thought, and he felt it in the pit of his stomach.

Winry came to the door fully dressed and Edward gave her a surprised look. "What are you doing up? Its 3 o'clock in the morning!"

"I couldn't sleep, and besides," She pointed to Edwards right arm, even though it was covered with a glove and sleeves. "You need a tune-up." She sighed. "I'm starting to think that you take me for granted. Whenever I'm around you never take care of yourself." She sighed, unbuttoned Edwards's shirt, and took off his coat.

"Uh, Winry?"

"Hn?" She said as she grabbed his arm.

"Do you think we could do this in private?"

Winry looked up, just as a blush came to her cheeks. "Oh… yeah, sorry."

He smiled as she sat him down in a chair in her room. As she started working on his arm, he smiled. Winry always took good care of him. He did get lax in his auto mail duties when she was around. As Winry tightened screws and oiled parts, Edward relaxed and closed his eyes.

Then Edward heard a strange sound. It sounded like running feet out in the hall. Edward got up and Winry looked on in surprise. "What is it Edward?"

Edward opened the door and looked surprised and the horde of soldiers standing there. The one at the front had his fist raised as if he was about to knock. Edward glared at him. "What?"

"We're under attack."

"What?"

"We are under attack."

"From what?"

"Some super natural being."

Edward clenched his teeth and threw back on his jacket and shirt. He should have never let his guard down.

'I'm coming for you Emma.'

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"Soul Alchemist sir! We have found no suspicious persons aboard this train either!" The solider had quickly become Alphonse's favorite when his company had arrived. However, that was the thing. His company had arrived. Meaning the estimated time of arrival for Ms. Emma had passed. Moreover, that was not possible, unless they had guessed wrong.

For Edward's sake, he hoped Emma was just late.

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Mustang was angry. Alphonse had just called him with news of Emma's absence, and Edward had just called with news of Emma's presence. There was going to be a fight, and he was not going to miss it. He smirked and Riza sighed. The crowded train station was proof, no one wanted to be in a city with a killer.

Mustang just wished he wasn't' too late. He had not had a good fight in a long time. Besides, he thought, when doesn't full metal need my help anyways?

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Edward ran into the lobby just to see a girl twirl out of a soldiers grasp and kick his gun away. As she lunged towards the solider with a piece of metal in her hand, Edward flinched at the splat of blood. Then she saw him and he saw that wild snake eyes that all homunculi possessed.

IF a showdown was, what she wanted. A showdown was what she was going to get.

"Full Metal Alchemist. I've greatly missed you." She said as she withdrew her sword from the soldier's chest.

"Ha! How can you miss me? We've never met!" Edward instincts made his well-toned muscles freeze in anticipation. He hoped that he could distract her long enough for the guards at the train station to catch up.

"Oh, but we have. I have seen you die repeatedly in my dreams. Finally I can make it true, wouldn't you agree." She curtsied to him and took a stance to attack.

"Sorry, but I tend to destroy dreams, you better get outta the way." Edward said as he transmuted his arm into a blade. "Wanna fight Emma? Blade to blade?" He smirked.

"My name is not Emma!" She screamed into the almost empty lobby. By this time, the remaining soldiers had left. Cowards, Emma thought in her mind. Everyone in the military was just a coward. Useless beings who acted like cows, doing what they were told, no matter how gruesome.

Edward saw the girl's body shake with strength and frustration and his body was taut with adrenaline. Her eyes were closed and when she opened them, Edward felt a chill shake his core. They were wild with bloodlust. "My name, if I had not made that clear… IS GREED!" She exploded, running towards Edward with a speed that made him gasp and back up, not being prepared for her attack.

He saw her blade come down just in time and heard the clank of metal, but, god, she was strong. He was giving in under her strength and he quickly flipped out of her reach. She grinned as she lunged on him again. Edward lunged and they made a cut on each other.

"Ah, I heard you were an excellent fighter Mr. Elric. I had hoped those stories were not true." She made an attack again, having speed and agility over Edward. As Edward dodged each hit, he was reminded of the fight he had with Envy. The fight he had before he died.

As Edward lunged to try to get a hit on her, she jumped out of reach. Her powerful legs had sent her up into the air, and she threw her sword at him, a dagger rushing to meet his flesh.

Edward grunted in pain. The short sword had gone through his leg. As he pulled it out, he saw Emma walking towards him like a cat waiting for its prey. He quickly ripped a piece of his shirt off and tied it around the wound. So much for having clean clothes.

After Edward faced her and stood, Emma rushed him. As she ran towards him, she thought again, of how glorious his face would look as she was choking him. He would make the stone for her, once he relived the brush of death.

All the sudden, she felt a hole in her stomach. It looked like someone had designated her middle. She turned around, just to see Edward land from a flip.

"You jumped through me to evade my attack?" She chuckled. "How very unintelligent of you Edward. Could you not think of something else?"

Edward smirked. "So how do I kill you Greed? Do you also posses the ultimate shield?" Edward suddenly thought about how he had killed the transmutation circle on the floor. Edward knew he would have to repeat that similar move.

As the fight raged on, Edward had a faint notion that he would die. He kept dodging Emma's attacks, gradually carving the circle into the floor. All the sudden, she had him pinned to the ground, after tripping him.

As Emma stood above Edward, she asked him "Do you fear me Mr. Elric? Do you fear death?" Edward smirked.

"I've already been at deaths door. You do not scare me." And he lunged at her, cutting through her body again. Edwards's body had been beaten quite badly, his muscles were screaming in agony.

"I can hear your muscles, Edward. They scream, as you will scream when I force you to create the stone for me." Edward's mind clicked. She was not going to kill him. Yet.

"You want the stone?" He grunted as her hand shot towards his neck, choking him. "Why?"

"To be," She squeezed his neck harder. Edward was suddenly afraid his neck would snap under the pressure. "Invincible."

Then the doors flew open as a horde of troops marched in and took aim at the abomination that was Emma. At the back was a familiar face.

"Can't you take care of yourself Full Metal?" Mustang's taunting voice reached Edward. Edward wanted to say something, but he found that his body was weak. Weak from battle and from fatigue. His Body had had enough had had enough.

As Edward Passed out, Mustang motioned to Riza. The orders were to not shoot Edward, shoot the person attacking him. Emma looked preoccupied with the soldiers, and Riza saw her chance. Her job was to get Edwards body. Mustang followed her, ready to attack Emma.

As fire exploded around him, Edward opened his eyes. He saw soldiers, all standing there waiting for the bonfire to end. 'My body… it won't move?' Edward was surprised that he was not panicking. His body felt so weak from Emma's beatings. She was not normal. In no way. As Riza picked up Edward's lifeless body, Edward fell into a deep sleep.

"…Mother…" Was a soft whisper he admitted as his body fully passed out.

Roy was having trouble. She was not burning; he could not taste the fat on his lips. Then he saw it, the circle on the floor. It was a large circle, and it contained the Elric insignia within it. 'What's this?' He thought as he kept snapping his now worn fingers. Then something Edward said came back to him.

"There is only one way to seal a hummuculous." Edward had stated one of the times that He and Roy had been alone.

Roy raised an eyebrow. "Whats that?" And Edward had proceeded to draw the circle on a piece of paper. Roy had glanced at it, and had said nothing more.

As the flash of memory came to him, he recognized the circle on the floor. The circle was carved into the stone, and Roy had burnt over bits of it. Then he remembered that he would have to use some old fashioned alchemy if he was going to seal this creature.

Roy stopped his relentless firestorm, and what he saw was incredible. Emma stood in the center of the room, unharmed. Roy stepped back, in awe and instinctive cowardliness.

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Emma snickered as she raised her hand. Roy saw a dark blue covering on her hand, and her fingers had turned into what looked like claws. Emma smiled wickedly as her entire body became this form. "I have what you would call an 'Ultimate Shield.'" Roy gasped slightly. An Ultimate Shield? How would he beat that?

Then Alphonse's words to him drifted back. They had been on the phone, after Alphonse had reported his lack of Emma.

_"Each of the __Homunculi__ had special powers. Lust had extendable fingers that turned into deadly lances. __Gluttony__ could eat anything and everything. Wrath had his alchemy, Envy his __shape shifting__, Sloth her water abilities, and Pride his Ultimate Eye. And Greed, who had released the secret of sealing the __homunculus__, had the Ultimate __Shield__ made of Carbon…" _

'So that's what she's using.' Mustang's mind went back to his training, and when he had to determine on what something was made of. Then he remembered a crucial detail in sealing a homunculus.

You needed their remains of the person they wanted to bring back.

Emma had taken down her shield and she glanced at the floor and smirked. She knew what the circle meant; Edward was trying to seal her. However, he did not have the remains to petrify her, so she would keep coming back for more.

Then again, her supply of red stones was low; she could start to feel the strain of mortality coming upon her. She thought of a million ways to destroy Mustang and his men, but that meant killing the Full Metal Alchemist too. She could not do that, he held secrets of Homunculi that she could only dream about. Damn it, she still had his brother to take care of, she was sure Edward released all of his findings to his brother.

There was only one option. Kidnap Edward. As Mustang suddenly dropped to the circle in the ground, trying to surprise Emma, she sprinted to Edward, jumping effortlessly over the gunman taken by surprise. For, unfortunately, they had no experience with super natural beings. And, unfortunately, Emma was supernatural.

As Riza plugged a few shots into the lively Emma, She felt Edward's boy leave her arms. She attempted to grasp something, but all she received was a torn part of his cloak. Then Emma ran up the wall, shots firing at her from the military below. They had now realized what was happening.

Mustang was frantic. He knew it was pointless to shoot her and risk shooting Edward. He was about to call off his order when it was cut off.

"Stop shoot--!" Winry yelled as her body was used as a punch bag for Emma's kick. While the commotion had been going on in the lobby, she had sneakily welded the door shut. As her body slid down the door, she saw Emma. She saw a power Hungary creature with cat-like eyes filled with bloodlust. She also saw Edwards body, slung over her shoulder as if he weighed nothing. Then Winry too fell to the ground.

"Stupid girl. Trying to defend a powerful human like Edward, like you could." Emma bent down sliding her fingers under Winry's chin. Her fingers were like ice. "Poor girl, you were ignorant of the fact that you're dealing with much bigger things." Emma then kicked the door, but it only gave a little, then Mustang's men were upon her yet again. She kicked it again, and the door flew open, just as Mustang had a grip on Edward's hand that was dangling on her back. As Emma flew up into the air, she took Mustang too. Her tight hold on Edward was keeping them both on her back.

"MUSTANG!" Riza shouted into the sky. However, the two men had long since passed. The Fuhrer of Ametris had disappeared into the night.


End file.
